Find out how popular the last name Bao is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bao.

Bao, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bao in America

Bao is the 11843rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bao surname appeared 2,643 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bao to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bao

The surname BAO originated in China, with its earliest known records dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "bao," meaning "precious" or "treasure." The name was particularly prevalent in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces of eastern China.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the surname BAO appeared in several historical documents and local records. One notable mention is found in the "Guangzhou Fuzhi," a local gazetteer from the 12th century, which listed several families with the BAO surname residing in the Guangzhou region.

The earliest known individual with the BAO surname was Bao Zheng (999-1062 AD), a famous magistrate and judge during the Song Dynasty. He was renowned for his integrity and fairness in upholding the law, and his name has become synonymous with justice in Chinese culture.

Another prominent figure was Bao Qingtian (1053-1112 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher from Jiangsu province. His works were highly regarded during the Song Dynasty and influenced subsequent generations of literati.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the BAO surname was also found in various records, including the "Zhejiang Tongzhi," a comprehensive gazetteer of Zhejiang province. One notable individual from this period was Bao Shuya (1568-1631 AD), a scholar and official who served in the imperial court.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the BAO surname continued to be widely present across China. One notable figure was Bao Shichen (1775-1855 AD), a renowned scholar and philanthropist from Zhejiang province. He established several schools and funded educational initiatives in his hometown.

Another individual of note was Bao Zhuan (1836-1884 AD), a military leader and strategist who played a crucial role in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, one of the deadliest civil wars in human history.

Throughout its history, the BAO surname has been associated with various place names, such as Baoshan (meaning "Precious Mountain") in Shanghai and Baoding (meaning "Precious Capital") in Hebei province, reflecting the significance and prestige of the name in Chinese culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bao

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bao.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bao was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bao has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bao was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bao, please contact us.

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