# Gao (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/gao/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 12,172 |
| US rank (2010) | 2,948 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 25,365 people |
| Change since 2000 | +125% (5,405 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ɡaʊ/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | Gau, Kao |

## Etymology

From Mandarin 高 (Gāo).

## Who carries it

Share of people named Gao in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 1.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.4% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 97% |
| Two or more races | 0.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Gao in the United Kingdom, Shu Han and the People's Republic of China.

## People named Gao

- William Gao, British actor, singer and model
- Gao Xiang, 3rd century Chinese Shu Han state general
- Gao Hong, Association footballer

## Similar surnames

Gay, Gaw, Gau, Guy, Gee, Guo, Gu, Go, Guay, Gioia, Ge, Gow.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.