Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1990

Bao

Gender Unisex · 41% girls Rank 2025 #7,740
Rank 2025
#7,740
among boys · ↓1,230 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
10
named Bao
How common
1 in 170,808
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1990
72 babies
All-time total
1,430
#5,695 all-time among boys
First recorded
1976
in Social Security records

Bao popularity over time

1,430 babies have been named Bao since 1976, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s 6 37 43 4 – #3,414
1980s 294 236 530 53 +1133% #1,926
1990s 258 224 482 48 -9% #2,348
2000s 22 140 162 16 -66% #4,411
2010s – 158 158 16 -2% #4,417
2020s (to 2025) – 55 55 9 -42% #6,510

The story of Bao

Bao is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #7,740 in 2025 with 10 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1976, 1,430 American babies have been named Bao, about 59% boys and 41% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1990, when 72 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Bao stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Bao?

The median living Bao is about 33 years old; half are between 25 and 39. An estimated 1,400 people named Bao are alive in the United States today.

median 33 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Bao year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 10 #7,740
2024 – – 13 #6,510
2023 – – 10 #7,803
2022 – – 5 #12,580
2021 – – 11 #7,145
2020 – – 6 #10,758
2019 – – 12 #6,823
2018 – – 10 #7,684
2017 – – 11 #7,154
2016 – – 18 #5,152
2015 – – 22 #4,417
2014 – – 15 #5,765
2013 – – 18 #4,999
2012 – – 16 #5,505
2011 – – 21 #4,522
2010 – – 15 #5,764
2009 – – 20 #4,766
2008 – – 12 #6,801
2007 – – 14 #5,940
2006 – – 8 #8,812
2005 – – 11 #6,692
2004 – – 15 #5,272
2003 – – 17 #4,630
2002 8 #11,281 11 #6,131
2001 7 #12,250 15 #4,914
2000 7 #11,955 17 #4,411
1995 25 #4,111 27 #2,689
1990 46 #2,575 26 #2,557
1985 31 #2,945 26 #2,119
1980 18 #4,160 17 #2,736
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Bao

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Bao Zheng Bao Zheng 11th-century Chinese politician and cultural personification of justice 999–1062 · Medieval
  2. 2 Bao Xishun Bao Xishun World's tallest man from 2005 to 2009 b. 1951 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Bao, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Bao?

The median living Bao is about 33 years old. Half of all living Baos are between 25 and 39 years old.

How many people named Bao are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Bao are alive in the United States, based on 1,430 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Bao in 2025?

Bao ranked #7,740 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 10 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bao?

1,430 babies have been named Bao in the United States since 1976, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bao most popular?

Bao peaked in 1990, when 72 newborns received the name.

Is Bao a boy or girl name?

Bao is used for both: about 41% of babies named Bao have been girls and 59% boys.

Is the name Bao rising or falling?

Bao is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Bao?

Well-known people named Bao include Bao Zheng (politician), Bao Xishun (religious figure).

Names like Bao

Names that sound and feel close to Bao: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Bao with similar names → More names starting with B →