Holding steady.
Popularity of Mao since 1980
Babies named Mao per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 121 |
| 1990s | 105 |
| 2000s | 39 |
| 2010s | 20 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Mao is an extremely rare given name in the United States, first appearing in Social Security records in 1980. It reached its peak popularity in 1983, but even then it did not achieve a measurable rank among the top 1,000 names. The name has shown a stable trajectory over the decades, with no significant rise or fall in usage. Because it has never ranked, calculating its 1-in-N frequency is not possible. Mao is primarily used for girls, but due to its rarity, no top states of usage were recorded. The name's etymology is uncertain; it could be a modern English respelling of Mae or a borrowing of the Chinese surname. Without clear origins or cultural context in the U.S., Mao remains a niche choice.
Mao is a rarely used name in the United States, first recorded in 1980. It may be a modern English respelling of the name Mae or a diminutive of Mary, or it could derive from the Chinese surname 毛 (Mao), made famous by Mao Zedong. However, as a given name in the U.S., its etymology is uncertain and it has not been widely adopted.
“Mao” around the world
Where Mao lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
100
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Sibling names for Mao
Names that share Mao's style, for a brother or sister.
