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At a glance

In short
Ao is a unique and intriguing choice for a baby boy, originating from Japan with strong cultural associations. Pronounced like "ow," it exudes individuality and charm.
U.S. rank 2025
#12,008 of boy names (outside the top 1,000)
Babies in 2025
5 (<0.01% of boys)
Peak
#9,763 in 2023
First recorded
2018

Meaning of Ao

The name Ao is a unique and intriguing choice for a baby boy. It originates from Japan and holds strong cultural associations. The pronunciation of Ao is similar to the sound "ow" (/aʊ/), which adds to its mystique. While there are no known variations in terms of pronunciation, the name can also be spelled as Aoi. In terms of popularity, Ao had a total of 6 occurrences in the United States in 2018, ranking at 10750. Despite its rarity, Ao exudes a sense of individuality and charm that may appeal to parents looking for an uncommon and distinctive name for their son.

How to pronounce Ao

Popularity of Ao in the U.S.

Ao was the #12,008 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 5 babies. It peaked at #9,763 in 2023. It first appears in the records in 2018.

Bar and line chart: Ao in the U.S., 2018–2025. Bars: boys given the name each year, most 7 in 2023 and 5 in 2025. Line: rank among boy names, peak #9,763 in 2023, #12,008 in 2025.
  • Boys named Ao (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 2018–2025. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 2018⁠–⁠2025 3 rows
Ao: babies and rank among boy names in the U.S. by year
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
2025512,008back (not recorded in 2024)
202379,763back (not recorded in 2019–2022)
2018610,760new

Notable people named Ao

  • Ao Man Long is a Macau politician who served as the region's first Secretary for Transport and Public Works from 1999 to 2006.