Takao
A masculine Japanese name meaning "highest" or "the highest peak".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Takao. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Takao today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Takao births was 1922 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Takao. 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
- • The typical person named Takao is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Takaos were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Takao. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1922
15 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,603
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Takao: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Takao from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 77 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Takao 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 Takao during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Takaos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Takao
The name Takao is a masculine Japanese name with origins dating back to the 8th century. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "taka," meaning "tall" or "noble," and "o," meaning "male." The name was likely first used during the Nara period in Japan, which spanned from 710 to 794 CE.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Takao can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle completed in 797 CE. The chronicle mentions a nobleman named Takao no Michinobu, who served as a government official during the late 8th century.
In Japanese mythology, the name Takao is associated with Mount Takao, a sacred mountain located in western Tokyo. The mountain is believed to have been named after a legendary priest named Takao, who is said to have lived and meditated on the mountain during the 8th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Takao. One of the earliest was Takao Fujisawa (1887-1976), a Japanese painter and printmaker who was a pioneer of the Japanese creative print movement known as sosaku-hanga.
Another famous Takao was Takao Saito (1904-1976), a Japanese architect who designed several notable buildings in Tokyo, including the Kokugikan sumo wrestling arena and the Nippon Budokan martial arts arena.
In the realm of literature, Takao Iwami (1895-1962) was a Japanese novelist and poet known for his works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition. His most famous novel, "Koi to Shi no Aida" (Between Love and Death), was published in 1924.
More recently, Takao Furuno (1938-2022) was a Japanese businessman and entrepreneur who founded Furuno Electric Company, a leading manufacturer of marine electronics and navigation equipment.
In the world of sports, Takao Kawaguchi (born 1976) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler who has achieved the rank of ozeki, the second-highest rank in professional sumo.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Takao, a name steeped in Japanese tradition and culture, with roots dating back to the 8th century.
People
Takao + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Takao as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Takao: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Takao?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Takao 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Takao a common name?
We classify Takao as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 146 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Takao most popular?
The single biggest year for Takao was 1922, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Takao is about 93 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Takao a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Takao 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.
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.