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Tao Family History

Tao Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 陶 meaning ‘ceramics’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Tao (陶) said to be the original residence of the legendary Emperor Yao (c. 24th century BC). (ii) from Tao Zheng (陶正) ‘ceramics officer’ post name of an official in charge of the making of ceramics during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (iii) borne by the descendants of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). The Tao family was one of the seven clans of the Shang dynasty that were sent to the state of Wey after the annihilation of the Shang dynasty.

Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 竇 see Dou

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 杜 see Du

Southeast Asian (Hmong): variant of Thao.

Japanese: written 田尾 ‘rice paddy tail’ meaning one who resides at the lower end of the paddy. Vietnamese (Tào): from the Chinese surname 曹 see Cao

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


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Where is the Tao family from?

You can see how Tao families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tao family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Tao families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Tao family living in Lancashire. This was about 50% of all the recorded Tao's in United Kingdom. Lancashire and 1 other county had the highest population of Tao families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tao 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 Tao ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Tao. 75% of Tao men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Tao women worked as an Operator. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tao were Salesman and Farm Hand.

View Census Data for Tao | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    75%
  • Salesman
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Operator
    34%
  • Laborer
    34%
  • Farm Hand
    34%

What Tao family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 615 census records available for the last name Tao. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tao census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tao

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Tao. 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.

View all Tao immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 743 military records available for the last name Tao. For the veterans among your Tao ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tao military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tao family history

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What is the average Tao lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Tao life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1977. The average life expectancy for Tao in 1955 was 45, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tao

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tao 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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