Unisex name · since 1975
Chau
Chau has 389 recorded births since 1975 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1980 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #13,738 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 389
- born since 1975
- 1980s
- peak decade
Chau is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 389 have been recorded since 1975.
Chau has 389 recorded births among girls since 1975, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1975 to 2022.
- #13,738 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 389 born since 1975
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chau ranks #13,738 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 389 born since 1975, peaking in the 1980s.
- #13,738 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 389
- born since 1975
- 1980s
- peak decade
Chau's 389 recorded births place it above 80.98% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
Chau's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Chau splits its recorded history at 1995: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1975 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1980 peak of 22 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Chau popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1975–2022
- Peak year (1980)
- 22
- Annual births at peak, across 48 years of records
Chau popularity over time - boys
107 total births recorded since 1976 (Chau as boys' name)
Chau by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (158 births, 41% of the file).
1980s was Chau's strongest decade.
158 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Chau births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 30
1970s
30 births
- 1980s
1980s
158 births
- 1990s
1990s
91 births
- 2000s
2000s
65 births
- 2010s 33
2010s
33 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 158 births (41% of all-time use).
Chau by state
Where Chau concentrates geographically, total births since 1975
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 89 | 22.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5 | 1.3% |
89 of 389 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Chau's data
- Chau's decade-level peak was the 1980s (158 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Chaus (89 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chau
Nearby Names Like Chau
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chau
Compare Chau side by side: Chau vs Charlotte Chau vs Charlene Chau vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Chau: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1980)
Similar record span (~47 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1975–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Chau draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.