Boys' name · since 1970
Tao
433 babies named Tao in U.S. Social Security records since 1970, with the highest year being 2021. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8,601 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,672 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 433
- born since 1970
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Tao is the #5672 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 433 recorded since 1970.
Tao has 433 recorded births among boys since 1970, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5672 as of the latest data, more common than 59% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2025.
- #8,601 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,672 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 433 born since 1970
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tao ranks #8,601 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,672 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 433 born since 1970, peaking in the 2010s.
- #8,601 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,672 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 433
- born since 1970
- 2010s
- peak decade
Tao's 433 recorded births place it above 81.08% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Tao compares
433 Top 47% higher than 53% 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
Tao's all-time total is 17% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tao | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 433 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 34 | 22,252 |
Tao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Tao's SSA record in two at 2005 and the more recent half accounts for 63% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 37%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1975, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2021 peak of 20, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Tao popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2025
- Peak year (2021)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 56 years of records
Tao popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1980 (Tao as girls' name)
Tao by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (131 births, 30% of the file).
2010s was Tao's strongest decade.
131 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Tao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 45
1970s
45 births
- 1980s 37
1980s
37 births
- 1990s 23
1990s
23 births
- 2000s
2000s
116 births
- 2010s
2010s
131 births
- 2020s
2020s
81 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 131 births (30% of all-time use).
Tao by state
Where Tao concentrates geographically, total births since 1970
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 27 | 6.2% |
27 of 433 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tao? ▼
Where does Tao sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Tao most popular? ▼
Where is Tao most popular? ▼
How long has the name Tao been used? ▼
What names are similar to Tao? ▼
What to do with Tao's data
- Tao's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (131 total births) through the 2020s (81) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Taos (27 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 Tao
Nearby Names Like Tao
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tao
Compare Tao side by side: Tao vs Taos
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tao
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tao: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2021)
Similar record span (~55 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, 1970–2025 (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 Tao 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.