Total births
32
Boys' name · since 1981
Lao
32 babies named Lao in U.S. Social Security records since 1981, with the highest year being 1985. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 32
- total births
- 1981–1991
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 84%
- born in that decade
32 boys have been named Lao since 1981, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Lao recorded 32 times among boys since 1981, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1981 to 1991.
- 32 total births
- 1981–1991 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 84% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
32 boys have been named Lao since 1981, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 1991.
- 32
- total births
- 1981–1991
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 84%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
84% of everyone ever named Lao was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
7 babies were named Lao in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
Lao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Lao's SSA record in two at 1985 and the more recent half accounts for 53% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 47%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1981, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1985 peak of 7, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Lao at a glance
Last recorded 1991Peak year
1985
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1981
Lao popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–1991
- Peak year (1985)
- 7
- Annual births at peak, across 11 years of records
Lao by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Lao's strongest decade.
27 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 84% of all-time use.
Lao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
27 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 27 births (84% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lao? ▼
32 babies have been named Lao since 1981. It was last recorded in 1991. The peak year was 1985 with 7 births.
When was Lao most popular? ▼
Lao was most popular in the 1980s decade with 27 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
How long has the name Lao been used? ▼
Lao has been recorded in Social Security data since 1981, spanning 11 years of data through 1991.
What to do with Lao's data
- Lao's decade-level peak was the 1980s (27 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lao
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1981–1991 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lao: Baby Name Since 1981 - 32 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lao. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Lao 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 July 2026.