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Chao Family History

Chao Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 巢 meaning ‘nest’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of You Chao Shi (有巢氏) a legendary ancient king. (ii) from Chao (巢) the name of an ancient state (located in Anhui province) which existed from the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC) to the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). After it was annexed by the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) the name of the state was adopted as a surname.

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 晁 a variant written form of another ancient Chinese character 朝 meaning ‘morning’ in ancient Chinese: (i) adopted in place of another Chinese surname Chao (朝) traced back to the personal name Chao (朝) personal name of son of King Jing of Zhou (died 520 BC). (ii) from the personal name Chao (朝) style name of Shi Chao (史朝) an official in the state of Wey during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 鈔 meaning ‘bank note’ in modern Chinese a surname traced back to Khitan and Jurchen minority ethnic groups in ancient northern China.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曹 see Cao Chinese: alternative variant of Zhao. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 周 see Zhou.

7: Southeast Asian (Iu Mien): from the name of the Chao clan of the Iu Mien people from Laos. Compare Saechao. 8: Portuguese (Chão) and Galician: topographic name from a common field name derived from Latin planus ‘level even flat’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Chao family from?

You can see how Chao families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chao family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1891 and 1920. The most Chao families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 8 Chao families living in Yorkshire. This was about 89% of all the recorded Chao's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Chao families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chao surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Chao ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Chao. 50% of Chao men worked as a Labourer.

View Census Data for Chao | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Canada shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Labourer
    50%
  • Cook
    50%

What Chao family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 714 census records available for the last name Chao. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chao census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chao

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Chao. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Chao. For the veterans among your Chao ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Chao lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Chao life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Chao in 1961 was 49, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chao

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Chao ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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