Given name & surname
Rao
“king”
Rao is a surname with more than one origin. It is used in English and Italian.
Meaning & origin
What it means
As an Indian surname, it goes back to a word meaning “king.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
As an Indian surname, it comes from Marathi राव.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Rao’s family of names
In Italian usage, Rao as a surname shares a linguistic root with the Sicilian form RAU. In German usage, Rao as a surname has a related form in RAU.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Rao, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.