Total births
301
Boys' name · since 1979
Pao
301 babies named Pao in U.S. Social Security records since 1979, with the highest year being 1991. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 301
- total births
- 1979–1999
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 58%
- born in that decade
Pao sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 301 recorded since 1979.
Pao has 301 recorded births among boys since 1979, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys 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 1979 to 1999.
- 301 total births
- 1979–1999 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 58% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
301 boys have been named Pao since 1979, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 1999.
- 301
- total births
- 1979–1999
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 58%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
58% of everyone ever named Pao was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
29 babies were named Pao in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
Pao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Pao splits its recorded history at 1989: 49% of all births land in the more recent half, 51% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1979 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1991 peak of 29 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Pao at a glance
Last recorded 1999Peak year
1991
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1979
Pao popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–1999
- Peak year (1991)
- 29
- Annual births at peak, across 21 years of records
Pao by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Pao's strongest decade.
175 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 58% of all-time use.
Pao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
- 1980s
1980s
175 births
- 1990s
1990s
121 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 175 births (58% of all-time use).
Pao by state
Where Pao concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 134 | 44.5% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 18 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 5 | 1.7% |
California share of Pao's total US births 44.5%
Even split
134 of 301 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pao? ▼
Pao has been given to 301 babies in the U.S. since 1979, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1999. 29 babies were born in 1991, its single highest year.
When was Pao most popular? ▼
Pao was most popular in the 1980s decade with 175 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Pao most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pao are California (134 births), Minnesota (18 births), Wisconsin (5 births).
How long has the name Pao been used? ▼
Records for Pao go back to 1979, giving 21 years of history through 1999.
What names are similar to Pao? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Paolo, Paola. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Pao's data
- Pao's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (175 total births) through the 1990s (121) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Paos (134 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- 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 Pao
Nearby Names Like Pao
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pao
Compare Pao side by side: Pao vs Paolo Pao vs Paola
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1979–1999 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pao: Baby Name Since 1979 - 301 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pao. 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 Pao 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 June 2026.