Kao is of Japanese origin and means 'light'. It is composed of two characters: "kō" (光), meaning light, and "a" (あ), which serves as a suffix to indicate that the name refers to a person's given name rather than their family name. Kao is commonly used for both males and females in Japan, but it can also be found among people of Chinese descent. It is a unique and distinctive name that stands out from more common choices.
The name Kao experienced its peak popularity between 1980 and 1992, with a high of 40 births in 1981 and an average of about 28 births per year during this period. After 1992, the number of babies named Kao declined significantly, falling below 20 births per year from 1996 onwards. The total number of births with the name Kao between 1980 and 2023 is 467.