Total births
32
Boys' name · since 2009
Zao
32 babies named Zao in U.S. Social Security records since 2009, with the highest year being 2011. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 32
- total births
- 2009–2023
- years on record
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 69%
- born in that decade
Zao is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 32 have been recorded since 2009.
Zao has 32 recorded births among boys since 2009, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, 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 2009 to 2023.
- 32 total births
- 2009–2023 years on record
- 2010s peak decade
- 69% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
32 boys have been named Zao since 2009, peaking in the 2010s, last recorded in 2023.
- 32
- total births
- 2009–2023
- years on record
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 69%
- born in that decade
2010s
Peak decade
69% of everyone ever named Zao was born in this single decade.
2011
Single peak year
6 babies were named Zao in 2011 - its busiest year on record.
Zao's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zao splits its recorded history at 2015: 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 2009 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2011 peak of 6 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zao at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
2011
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
2009
Zao popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2009–2023
- Peak year (2011)
- 6
- Annual births at peak, across 15 years of records
Zao by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Zao's strongest decade.
22 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 69% of all-time use.
Zao births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
- 2010s
2010s
22 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 22 births (69% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zao? ▼
Since 2009, Social Security records show 32 babies named Zao. The most recent recorded year was 2023. Its busiest year on record was 2011, with 6 births.
When was Zao most popular? ▼
Zao was most popular in the 2010s decade with 22 total births. The single peak year was 2011.
How long has the name Zao been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Zao since 2009 -- 15 years through the most recent 2023 data.
What names are similar to Zao? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zaon. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Zao's data
- Zao's decade-level peak was the 2010s (22 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Zao
Nearby Names Like Zao
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zao
Compare Zao side by side: Zao vs Zaon
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 2009–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Zao: Baby Name Since 2009 - 32 Births, Peak 2011." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zao. 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 Zao 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 July 2026.