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Chao

boy name
Origin
Chinese
Syllables
1
Peak era
Rare
Today
▬ Steady

Meaning

varies by character: often 超, 'to surpass, leap over', or 潮, 'tide'; a pinyin-era given name

Popularity, 1890–2024

1890srare in US records2020s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Chao has stayed rare in US records the whole time: no peak decade to name.

See popularity in Brazil

Popularity in Brazil

70 people · the #52,921 first name in Brazil · median age 48

Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

When you meet Chao

Most people given the name Chao in the United States were born between 1970 and 1989. The Chao you meet today is most often in his 30s or 40s.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Chao

Yao Tao Hao Hua Jie Jun

The Chao deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Chao truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Chao fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

Keep exploring

Chinese baby names · Short names

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