Unisex name · since 1980
Kao
475 babies named Kao in U.S. Social Security records since 1980, with the highest year being 1981. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8,147 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,138 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 475
- born since 1980
- 1980s
- peak decade
Yes -- Kao is the #9138 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 475 recorded since 1980.
Kao has 475 recorded births among boys since 1980, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9138 as of the latest data, more common than 34% of boys, 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 1980 to 2025.
- #8,147 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #9,138 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 475 born since 1980
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kao ranks #8,147 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #9,138 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 475 born since 1980, peaking in the 1980s.
- #8,147 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,138 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 475
- born since 1980
- 1980s
- peak decade
Kao's 475 recorded births place it above 82.08% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Kao compares
475 Top 45% higher than 55% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kao's all-time total is 29% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kao | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 475 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 40 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kao's SSA record in two at 1996 and the more recent half accounts for 24% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 76%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2004, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1981 peak of 40, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kao popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2025
- Peak year (1981)
- 40
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Kao popularity over time - girls
244 total births recorded since 1980 (Kao as girls' name)
Kao by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (242 births, 51% of the file).
1980s was Kao's strongest decade.
242 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 51% of all-time use.
Kao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
242 births
- 1990s
1990s
145 births
- 2000s 16
2000s
16 births
- 2010s 54
2010s
54 births
- 2020s 18
2020s
18 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 242 births (51% of all-time use).
Kao by state
Where Kao concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 213 | 44.8% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 17 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Oregon | | 14 | 2.9% |
| #4 | Washington | | 12 | 2.5% |
213 of 475 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kao? ▼
Where does Kao sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kao most popular? ▼
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What to do with Kao's data
- Kao's decade-level peak was the 1980s (242 total births); usage has since declined to 18 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kaos (213 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 Kao
Nearby Names Like Kao
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kao
Compare Kao side by side: Kao vs Kaoru Kao vs Kaos Kao vs Kaori
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kao
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kao: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1981)
Similar record span (~45 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, 1980–2025 (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 Kao 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.