Girls' name · since 1980
Gao
375 babies named Gao in U.S. Social Security records since 1980, with the highest year being 1989. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #14,058 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 375
- born since 1980
- 1990s
- peak decade
Gao sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 375 recorded since 1980.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gao has been recorded 375 times among girls since 1980, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1980 to 2008.
- #14,058 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 375 born since 1980
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gao ranks #14,058 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 375 born since 1980, peaking in the 1990s.
- #14,058 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 375
- born since 1980
- 1990s
- peak decade
Gao's 375 recorded births place it above 80.54% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by Minnesota.
Gao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Gao's full recorded timeline at 1993, 43% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 57% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1983, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1989 peak of 32 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Gao popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2008
- Peak year (1989)
- 32
- Annual births at peak, across 29 years of records
Gao by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (204 births, 54% of the file).
1990s was Gao's strongest decade.
204 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 54% of all-time use.
Gao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
132 births
- 1990s
1990s
204 births
- 2000s 39
2000s
39 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 204 births (54% of all-time use).
Gao by state
Where Gao concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 163 | 43.5% |
| #2 | California | | 46 | 12.3% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 23 | 6.1% |
163 of 375 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Gao's data
- Gao's decade-level peak was the 1990s (204 total births); usage has since declined to 39 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Gaos (163 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gao
Nearby Names Like Gao
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gao
Compare Gao side by side: Gao vs Gaonou Gao vs Gaozong Gao vs Gaosheng
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Gao: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1989)
Similar record span (~28 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, 1980–2008 (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 Gao 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.