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Mao as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Mao

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The baby name Mao is a Female name , 21 syllables long and is pronounced {'Japanese': {'ipa': '/ma.o/', 'respelling': 'MAH-oh'}, 'Mandarin': {'pinyin': 'Máo', 'ipa': '/mao̯˧˥/', 'respelling': 'MAOW (rising tone)'}}.

Mao is Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 21.0
Origin: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese
Pronunciation: {'Japanese': {'ipa': '/ma.o/', 'respelling': 'MAH-oh'}, 'Mandarin': {'pinyin': 'Máo', 'ipa': '/mao̯˧˥/', 'respelling': 'MAOW (rising tone)'}}

What is the meaning of the name Mao ?

The baby name Mao is a Female name , 21 syllables long and is pronounced {'Japanese': {'ipa': '/ma.o/', 'respelling': 'MAH-oh'}, 'Mandarin': {'pinyin': 'Máo', 'ipa': '/mao̯˧˥/', 'respelling': 'MAOW (rising tone)'}}.

Mao is Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese in Origin.

Mao is a multicultural name most familiar as a Japanese unisex given name and a Chinese surname. In Japan it can be written with many kanji - common forms include 真央 (“true, center”), 茉央 (“jasmine, center”), and 舞桜 (“dance, cherry blossom”); it may also appear in hiragana まお or katakana マオ. Usage rose in the late 20th century and gained wider visibility through figures such as skater Mao Asada and actor Mao Inoue, helping cement its modern, graceful image.

In Chinese, Mao (primarily 毛, Máo) is a common surname meaning “fur/hair”; other surnames romanized Mao include 茅 (reeds) and 卯 (the fourth Earthly Branch, linked with the Rabbit). As a given-name syllable in Chinese it is less common and meaning depends on the chosen character. Romanization variants include Mou (Cantonese), Mau or Mow in older systems. In Vietnamese, Mão denotes the Rabbit branch and sometimes appears in personal names.

Mao has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Mao

Mao Zedong Politician · Born 1893 · People's Republic of China Mao Zedong was a Chinese politician who is most famous for founding the People's Republic of China in 1949. He led the country as Chairman of the Communist Party until his death in 1976. His policies, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, had a profound impact on China's history.

Celebrity babies named Mao

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Mao Besson Virginie Silla film producer ★★★★★ Luc Besson film director ★★★★★

Mao – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
KH Boys 0 #7 3 270
BW 0 #19 1 960
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
DJ Boys 0 #35 2 657
TM Boys 0 #36 1 614
GE 0 #44 1 997
JP 0 #67 11 4,057
CN 0 #78 9 3,857
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
KZ 0 #94 1 1,452
TW 0 #99 5 4,523
SD 0 #100 3 2,130
GE Girls 0 #104 5 1,564
JP Girls 0 #114 156 6,592
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
Switzerland Boys 2024 #136 2 1,769
BN Boys 0 #137 3 6,332
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
MT Girls 0 #152 2 3,773
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
Belgium Boys 2022 #174 24 401
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
TW Boys 0 #218 24 7,111
LU Boys 0 #219 2 4,970
MO Boys 0 #229 6 5,842
MO Girls 0 #235 17 7,056
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
EC Boys 0 #240 7 3,322
AO Boys 0 #246 4 5,568
CN Boys 0 #247 75 9,639
NA Boys 0 #249 5 6,830
EC Girls 0 #256 3 3,650
CO Boys 0 #261 1,959 15,656
TW Girls 0 #267 10 8,139
France Boys 2021 #273 119 2,865
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
SG 0 #274 9 11,010
JP Boys 0 #280 18 7,909
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
CN Girls 0 #294 56 8,829
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
AL Boys 0 #302 2 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #303 3 6,530
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
PE 0 #325 5 6,350
DK Girls 0 #328 2 7,429
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
QA Girls 0 #341 3 15,378
CO 0 #345 140 7,768
MY 0 #350 5 12,352
HK 0 #351 7 8,483
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
GH Boys 0 #359 3 8,138
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
PL Girls 0 #362 3 5,096
PH Boys 0 #366 18 11,440
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
France Girls 2020 #388 7 3,215
YE 0 #391 8 8,639
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
EG 0 #409 4 6,387
CM Boys 0 #413 142 12,054
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
SD Boys 0 #421 25 10,523
PH Girls 0 #424 6 13,098
CL 0 #430 5 6,867
CR Boys 0 #434 54 10,188
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
PA Boys 0 #469 13 9,305
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
AR Boys 0 #476 8 7,628
GT Boys 0 #497 3 7,625
HK Boys 0 #507 21 12,905
PA Girls 0 #514 5 9,861
RU Girls 0 #518 6 11,913
RU Boys 0 #520 7 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #522 4 11,303
SG Girls 0 #531 56 18,916
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
AE Girls 0 #542 12 20,968
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
CM Girls 0 #555 6 11,671
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
PS Boys 0 #558 4 10,655
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
CR Girls 0 #571 3 11,342
HK Girls 0 #571 45 16,104
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
CL Boys 0 #601 65 13,390
BD Boys 0 #603 3 10,045
SG Boys 0 #615 83 17,960
BO Boys 0 #619 4 9,244
IL Boys 0 #621 5 10,983
AR Girls 0 #628 3 8,289
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
BO Girls 0 #650 2 9,488
IT 0 #693 22 4,183
IQ Boys 0 #694 4 13,071
QA Boys 0 #739 5 18,093
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
PE Boys 0 #778 101 14,506
KW Boys 0 #801 6 18,755
NG Girls 0 #823 4 15,093
CL Girls 0 #835 17 14,098
EG Boys 0 #848 39 15,035
TN 0 #858 8 13,765
Spain Boys 0 #870 61 5,610
MX Boys 0 #890 93 16,355
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
SA Girls 0 #920 16 25,931
PE Girls 0 #929 15 14,861
NG Boys 0 #933 19 16,906
United States Girls 2016 #934 5 9,437
NL Boys 0 #935 17 5,873
EG Girls 0 #945 15 14,742
MY Girls 0 #962 33 24,821
CO Girls 0 #983 96 16,140
IN Boys 0 #1,032 8 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,049 63 25,439
MA 0 #1,063 66 20,986
AE Boys 0 #1,081 12 22,615
ZA Girls 0 #1,123 19 25,928
ZA Boys 0 #1,144 35 25,619
DZ 0 #1,161 16 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,162 22 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,178 295 10,046
TR 0 #1,201 11 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,401 46 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,573 42 28,008

Mao is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Wallonia, Belgium
Switzerland
United States
AE

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Mao

Mao is predominantly a girl's name.
Mao is a 21 syllable name, pronounced {'Japanese': {'ipa': '/ma.o/', 'respelling': 'MAH-oh'}, 'Mandarin': {'pinyin': 'Máo', 'ipa': '/mao̯˧˥/', 'respelling': 'MAOW (rising tone)'}}.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include 真央, 舞央, 茉央, 麻央, 真桜 and 茉緒.
Across languages, Mao has these equivalents: 'by_meaning': ['Flora (flower/jasmine imagery), "Florian/Flourish (related to 'flourishing' meanings).
Yes — Mao ranked #136 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Mao ranks highest in Switzerland (#136 in 2024).
Mao's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #414 in 2011 to #388 in 2020 in France.
Yes — 1 notable people named Mao are in our database, including Mao Zedong (Politician).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Mao for their child, including Virginie Silla and Luc Besson.