2000
#2,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.12
Uncommon Last name
Cao
A Chinese surname meaning "tall" or "high," or referring to someone living on a hill or elevated area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,886 Americans carry the last name Cao. That puts it at #1,324 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cao surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cao with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
30K
1 in 11,469
Census rank
#1,324
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,062 bearers of the surname Cao in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1324th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cao
The surname CAO is of Chinese origin, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is a monosyllabic family name that was initially used in various regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian.
The name CAO is believed to have derived from an ancient Chinese word meaning "grass" or "vegetation." This association likely stems from the agricultural background of many families bearing this surname, suggesting they may have been farmers or had a connection to the land.
Historical records indicate that the CAO surname appeared in documents as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). During this period, the name was sometimes written with different characters or spellings, such as Cao or Tsao, reflecting regional variations and changes in the Chinese writing system over time.
One notable early reference to the CAO surname can be found in the Zizhi Tongjian, a renowned historical text compiled during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This work mentions several individuals bearing the CAO surname, providing insights into their lives and contributions.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the CAO surname was Cao Cao (155-220 AD), a famous warlord and politician during the Eastern Han Dynasty. He played a crucial role in the events that led to the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China.
Another prominent figure was Cao Xueqin (1715-1763), the author of the celebrated novel "Dream of the Red Chamber," which is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
In the realm of arts and culture, Cao Yu (1910-1996) was a renowned Chinese playwright and author, known for his remarkable contributions to modern Chinese drama. His works, such as "Thunderstorm" and "Sunrise," explored themes of social inequality and family dynamics.
The CAO surname also has a strong presence in the field of science and technology. Cao Guoxing (1892-1986) was a distinguished Chinese physicist and educator who made significant contributions to the development of modern physics in China.
Additionally, the CAO surname has been associated with various place names throughout China's history. For example, the city of Caozhou (present-day Heze, Shandong Province) was named after a prominent CAO family that held influence in the region during the Tang Dynasty.
While the CAO surname has its origins in ancient China, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, the rich history and significance of this name remain deeply rooted in Chinese culture and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cao
Among Census respondents with the surname Cao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cao bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cao surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.8% · 24,707
- White2.2% · 564
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 379
- Two or more races1.2% · 317
- Black or African American0.3% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cao
Cao appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,138
+7,032 bearers (+63.3%)
Per 100,000 6.15
Rank movement Up 997 places
2020
#1,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,062
+7,924 bearers (+43.7%)
Per 100,000 8.72
Rank movement Up 665 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,986 | 11,106 | 4.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,989 | 18,138 | 6.15 | +7,032 bearers (+63.3%) | Up 997 places |
| 2020 | #1,324 | 26,062 | 8.72 | +7,924 bearers (+43.7%) | Up 665 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cao surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,989 | #1,324 | 33.4% |
| Count | 18,138 | 26,062 | 43.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.15 | 8.72 | 41.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cao bearers went from 18,138 to 26,062 (+43.7% change). The surname moved up 665 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,989 to #1,324.
FAQ
Cao surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cao?
Name Census estimates that about 29,886 living Americans carry the surname Cao. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,469 residents.
How common is Cao?
Cao ranks #1,324 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,062 people with the surname Cao. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,886), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Cao.
Has Cao become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cao went from 18,138 recorded bearers to 26,062. That is an increase of 7,924 (+43.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,989 to #1,324.
What does the Census say about the background of Cao?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (24,707 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cao appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.8%), White (2.2%), Hispanic (1.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cao (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cao mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "tall" or "high," or referring to someone living on a hill or elevated area. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cao (8.72 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Cao?
See how many people have the surname Cao on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.