Yao

Yao - A very unique male name



  Nov 06,2026      Abigail Adams, Editorial writer   

Yao at a glance

Yao is ranked #3082 among boy baby names in 1993, with 6 births in 1993. It peaked in 1984 at #2616 and first appeared on the charts in 1984.

Rank in 1993
#3082
Births in 1993
6
Peak year
1984 (#2616)
First appeared
1984
Popularity
1 in 300,797 boys
Visitor rating
5.0/5 (1 recent votes)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026

Yao appeared on the charts for the first time in 1984 on position #2616. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Yao and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Yao? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Yao. The baby boy name Yao was given to 6 baby boys in 1993, ranking #3082 on the national boy baby name top chart.

Must Try: Find A Perfect Name Based On Your Last Name...

With that position 1 in 300,797 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Yao peaked in popularity 42 years ago in 1984 on position 2616.



Famous with this name

Yao
Yao Anlian
Yao Yao


How would you rate Yao, 1-5?

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 recent votes)


Yao is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Yao is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #2,184 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,184.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Yao is where you live.


Comment and discuss




Yao origin and meaning

Yao is a 3 letter name with 2 syllables. We couldn't find any information about what this name means. To see famous people named Yao, pop culture references for the name Yao and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Yao

We've found the following names that sound similar to Yao, sorted by popularity.

Yahya / Yahia / Yahye / Yu / Yee / Yi / Yehia / Yaw / Yia / Yue /

Name statistics


Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)



Chart position per state (visualized)



Chart position per year (table view)


Year Rank
19933082
19842616

Chart position per state (table view)


State Rank
California2184

Even more about Yao


These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Yao a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Yao?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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New data stories


#
On chart
1984
Peak year
Male


Popularity Score™

Name Yao
Gender Male
Popularity 1 in 300,797
Letter count 3
Syllable count 2
Year first discovered 1984
1993 births +6

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