Ao
A unisex name of Japanese origin meaning "bluish-green" or "blue".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Ao. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ao today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ao births was 2023 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ao. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ao. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2023
7 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,820
Tracked since 2018
Census
Ao in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 375 people with the first name Ao, which placed it at #25,327 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#25,327
National first-name rank
People counted
375
375 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
79.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ao
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ao is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Ao described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Ao at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.2% · 297
- White9.1% · 34
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 19
- Black or African American3.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 6
- Two or more races1.3% · 5
Popularity
Ao: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ao from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 7 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ao by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ao during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ao
The name Ao is believed to have its origins in the Austronesian language family, which includes languages spoken in parts of Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Madagascar. It is thought to be derived from the Proto-Austronesian root word *ahu, which means "fire" or "light."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Ao can be found in ancient Polynesian mythology. In the traditional stories of the Maori people of New Zealand, Ao is the personification of the world of light and the son of the primordial parents, Rangi and Papa. He is often depicted as emerging from the embrace of his parents, bringing light and illumination to the world.
The name Ao also has connections to ancient Chinese philosophy and religion. In Taoism, the concept of "Ao" refers to the state of existential openness and boundlessness, representing the fundamental unity of all things. This philosophical interpretation of the name has influenced its use and meaning in various East Asian cultures.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the name Ao. One of the earliest recorded examples is Ao Guang, a Chinese military general and government official who lived during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD. He played a significant role in suppressing rebellions and securing the imperial throne for Emperor Gaozong.
Another influential figure with the name Ao was Ao Naga, a revered warrior and leader of the Naga people, an ethnic group residing in parts of present-day northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar. Ao Naga is believed to have lived in the 16th or 17th century and is celebrated for his bravery and leadership in defending his people against invaders.
In more recent times, Ao Thuat, a Vietnamese artist and sculptor born in 1924, gained recognition for his innovative and distinctive style, blending traditional Vietnamese aesthetics with modern techniques. His works have been exhibited internationally and are celebrated as significant contributions to the Vietnamese art scene.
Additionally, Ao Te Hau, a Maori artist and carver from New Zealand, born in 1976, has gained widespread acclaim for his intricate and culturally significant wood carvings. His works often depict traditional Maori motifs and narratives, preserving and celebrating the artistic heritage of his people.
Finally, Ao Sida, a prominent Lao politician and diplomat, born in 1937, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos from 1992 to 1998. He played a crucial role in fostering international relations and representing his country on the global stage during a period of significant political transition.
People
Ao + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ao as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ao: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ao?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ao going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Ao a common name?
We classify Ao as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ao most popular?
The single biggest year for Ao was 2023, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ao is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Ao in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 375 people with the name Ao, or 0.12 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #25,327 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Ao in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ao?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Ao on both sides of the split. Of the 372 people counted with this name, 224 were male (60.2%) and 148 were female (39.8%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ao?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Ao is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.2%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Hispanic (5.1%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Ao most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Ao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (297 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ao in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ao a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ao in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ao still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ao in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ao can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are called Ao?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.