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.
- #10,562 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 301
- born since 1979
- 1980s
- peak 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.
- #10,562 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 301 born since 1979
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pao ranks #10,562 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 301 born since 1979, peaking in the 1980s.
- #10,562 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 301
- born since 1979
- 1980s
- peak decade
Pao's 301 recorded births place it above 76.76% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
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 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
1980s is the heaviest window (175 births, 58% of the file).
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% |
134 of 301 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pao: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1991)
Similar record span (~20 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, 1979–1999 (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 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 August 2026.