Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Tao

Gender Boy · 2% girls Rank 2025 #5,824
Rank 2025
#5,824
among boys · ↑3,938 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
16
named Tao
How common
1 in 106,755
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
20 babies
All-time total
443
#8,595 all-time among boys
First recorded
1970
in Social Security records

Tao popularity over time

443 babies have been named Tao since 1970, 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
00.010.010.0218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 45 45 5 – #3,663
1980s 10 37 47 5 +4% #4,173
1990s – 23 23 2 -51% #8,127
2000s – 116 116 12 +404% #5,108
2010s – 131 131 13 +13% #5,530
2020s (to 2025) – 81 81 14 +3% #4,913

The story of Tao

Tao is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,824 in 2025 with 16 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1970, 443 American babies have been named Tao. Its peak came in 2021, when 20 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Tao stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Tao?

The median living Tao is about 16 years old; half are between 8 and 26. An estimated 400 people named Tao are alive in the United States today.

median 16 020406080100

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

Tao 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 – – 16 #5,824
2024 – – 8 #9,762
2023 – – 12 #7,250
2022 – – 16 #5,841
2021 – – 20 #4,913
2020 – – 9 #8,654
2019 – – 9 #8,796
2018 – – 13 #6,657
2017 – – 11 #7,486
2016 – – 17 #5,530
2015 – – 15 #5,959
2014 – – 13 #6,584
2013 – – 7 #10,600
2012 – – 15 #5,957
2011 – – 15 #5,916
2010 – – 16 #5,705
2009 – – 15 #6,051
2008 – – 9 #8,926
2007 – – 12 #7,027
2006 – – 13 #6,416
2005 – – 10 #7,586
2004 – – 9 #8,077
2003 – – 11 #6,668
2002 – – 15 #5,108
2001 – – 11 #6,394
2000 – – 11 #6,259
1995 – – 6 #8,761
1990 – – – –
1985 – – 5 #7,461
1980 10 #6,742 9 #4,465
1975 – – 5 #6,235
1970 – – 6 #4,671
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Tao

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

  1. 1 Tao Yuanming Tao Yuanming Chinese poet (365–427) Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Tao?

The median living Tao is about 16 years old. Half of all living Taos are between 8 and 26 years old.

How many people named Tao are alive today?

An estimated 400 people named Tao are alive in the United States, based on 443 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Tao in 2025?

Tao ranked #5,824 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 16 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Tao?

443 babies have been named Tao in the United States since 1970, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Tao most popular?

Tao peaked in 2021, when 20 newborns received the name.

Is Tao a boy or girl name?

Tao is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Tao rising or falling?

Tao has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Tao?

Well-known people named Tao include Tao Yuanming (writer).

Names like Tao

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

Compare Tao with similar names → More names starting with T →