Total births
433
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.
- #9176
- among boys today
- 433
- born since 1970
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Tao is the #9176 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 #9176 as of the latest data, more common than 36% 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.
- #9176 among boys today
- 433 born since 1970
- 2010s peak decade
- 36% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tao is currently the #9176 boys' name in America, more common than 36% of boys - 433 born since 1970, peaking in the 2010s.
- #9176
- among boys today
- 433
- born since 1970
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 36%
- more common than other boys
Tao vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9176
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 36% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Tao was born in this single decade.
2021
Single peak year
20 babies were named Tao in 2021 - its busiest year on record.
How Tao compares
433 Top 47% higher than 53% of 14,294 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 18% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tao | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 433 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2021
Current rank
#9,176
Active since
1970
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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% |
California share of Tao's total US births 6.2%
27 of 433 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tao? ▼
433 babies have been named Tao since 1970. It currently ranks #9176 among boys. The peak year was 2021 with 20 births.
When was Tao most popular? ▼
Tao was most popular in the 2010s decade with 131 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Tao most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tao are California (27 births).
How long has the name Tao been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Tao since 1970 -- 56 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Tao? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Taos. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 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
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, 1970–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tao: #9176 Boys' Name - 433 Births, Peak 2021." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tao. 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 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 June 2026.