Tao
A name of Chinese origin meaning "the way" or "the path".
Name Census estimates that about 418 living Americans carry the first name Tao. It is a predominantly male name (97.7% of registrations). The average person named Tao today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tao births was 2021 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tao. 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.
People living today
418
~ 1 in 819,986 Americans
Peak year
2021
20 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,741
Tracked since 1970
Gender
Gender distribution for Tao
Tao leans heavily male at 97.7% of total registrations, but 10 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tao as a male name
- Ranked #9,733 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (20 births)
Tao as a female name
- Ranked #6,741 in 1980
- 10 female births in 1980
- Peak: 1980 (10 births)
Popularity
Tao: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tao from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 131 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Tao remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tao 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 Tao during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Taos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tao
The name Tao is rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy and has a rich cultural significance dating back thousands of years. It originated from the Chinese word "dao," which means "path" or "way." The concept of Tao is central to Taoism, an influential spiritual and philosophical tradition that emerged in China around the 6th century BCE.
One of the earliest and most important references to Tao can be found in the Tao Te Ching, a fundamental text of Taoism attributed to the ancient sage Lao Tzu. The Tao Te Ching describes Tao as the natural order of the universe, the way of nature, and the ultimate source of all things. It emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao and embracing its profound wisdom.
The name Tao gained widespread recognition and significance through the teachings of influential Taoist philosophers like Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi, who lived around the 4th century BCE. Their writings and teachings focused on the Tao as a guiding principle for living a balanced and harmonious life, emphasizing simplicity, humility, and the acceptance of the natural flow of existence.
Throughout Chinese history, several notable figures bore the name Tao. One of the earliest recorded examples is Tao Qian (365-427 CE), a renowned poet and calligrapher from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, who is celebrated for his poetry capturing the beauty of nature and the joys of a simple life in harmony with the Tao.
Another notable historical figure with the name Tao was Tao Gu (903-970 CE), a celebrated Taoist monk and scholar during the Song Dynasty. He played a significant role in reviving and promoting Taoist teachings and practices, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of Taoist philosophy.
In more recent times, Tao Xingzhi (1891-1946) was a prominent Chinese educator and philosopher who advocated for a holistic approach to education based on the principles of Taoism. His teachings emphasized the importance of individual growth, self-discovery, and a connection with nature, reflecting the core values of the Tao.
The name Tao has also been carried by notable figures outside of China. For example, Tao Hsing (1900-1957) was a Taiwanese artist and educator who played a significant role in the development of modern Taiwanese art and art education, drawing inspiration from Taoist principles.
Additionally, Tao Lin (born 1983) is an American writer and artist of Chinese descent, known for his novels and works that explore themes of alienation and modern life, reflecting the Taoist concepts of simplicity and the search for meaning within the ordinary.
People
Tao + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tao 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
Tao: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tao?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 418 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tao 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 819,986 US residents.
Is Tao a common name?
We classify Tao as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 427 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tao most popular?
The single biggest year for Tao was 2021, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tao is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tao a male name?
Yes, 97.7% of people registered as Tao 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.