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.
- #16,950 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 108
- born since 1984
- 2000s
- peak 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.
- #16,950 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 108 born since 1984
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Yao ranks #16,950 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 108 born since 1984, peaking in the 2000s.
- #16,950 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 108
- born since 1984
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yao's 108 recorded births place it above 62.72% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
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 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
2000s is the heaviest window (42 births, 39% of the file).
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% |
11 of 108 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Yao: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1984)
Similar record span (~39 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, 1984–2023 (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 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 August 2026.