Gao as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gao

What is the meaning of the name Gao ?

The baby name Gao is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced Gāo (pinyin, first tone) — pronounced like 'gow' (rhymes with 'cow'); IPA: /kaʊ̯/.

Gao is Chinese in Origin.

Gao is a Chinese name most often written with the character 高, meaning “tall, high, lofty,” though several other characters share the pronunciation, such as 皋 “riverbank” and 杲 “bright, rising sun.” As a surname it ranks among the more common across northern China and the Chinese diaspora; as a given name it is unisex and may appear alone or as part of a two-character compound to convey elevation, brightness, or noble ideals.

The surname has deep roots in Zhou- and Warring States–era lineages and has been borne by influential officials, poets like Gao Qi, and by Korean clans using the hanja 高 (surname Go/Ko), while Vietnamese Cao is its close cognate. Spelling varies by romanization and dialect: Gao in pinyin, Kao in Wade-Giles and Taiwan, Ko in Cantonese and Hokkien; related Japanese readings of 高 include Taka- and Kō, though “Gao” itself is not Japanese.