Total births
108
Boys' name · since 1984
Yao
108 babies named Yao in U.S. Social Security records since 1984, with the highest year being 1984. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 108
- total births
- 1984–2023
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 39%
- born in that decade
Yao sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 108 recorded since 1984.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Yao has been recorded 108 times among boys since 1984, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1984 to 2023.
- 108 total births
- 1984–2023 years on record
- 2000s peak decade
- 39% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
108 boys have been named Yao since 1984, peaking in the 2000s, last recorded in 2023.
- 108
- total births
- 1984–2023
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 39%
- born in that decade
2000s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Yao was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
10 babies were named Yao in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
Yao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Yao splits its recorded history at 2006: 47% of all births land in the more recent half, 53% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1988 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1984 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Yao at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1984
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1984
Yao popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1984–2023
- Peak year (1984)
- 10
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Yao by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Yao's strongest decade.
42 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Yao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s
1980s
20 births
- 1990s 13
1990s
13 births
- 2000s
2000s
42 births
- 2010s
2010s
23 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 42 births (39% of all-time use).
Yao by state
Where Yao concentrates geographically, total births since 1984
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 11 | 10.2% |
California share of Yao's total US births 10.2%
11 of 108 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Yao? ▼
Since 1984, Social Security records show 108 babies named Yao. The most recent recorded year was 2023. Its busiest year on record was 1984, with 10 births.
When was Yao most popular? ▼
Yao was most popular in the 2000s decade with 42 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Yao most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Yao are California (11 births).
How long has the name Yao been used? ▼
Records for Yao go back to 1984, giving 40 years of history through 2023.
What to do with Yao's data
- Yao's decade-level peak was the 2000s (42 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Yaos (11 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 Yao
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, 1984–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Yao: Baby Name Since 1984 - 108 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/yao. 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 Yao 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.