Cao History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain

The distinguished Spanish surname Cao is derived from a nickname; that is, it was originally used to describe a physical or personal characteristic of the original bearer. In this case, the surname is derived from the Spanish word "cano," meaning "white-haired" or "ancient," and would have been applied to one with gray hair or one who was advanced in years.

Early Origins of the Cao family

The surname Cao was first found in many Regions of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula. There were families of this name in Castile, Murcia, Seville, Vizcaya, Portugal and other regions. In Vizcaya, a family of this name resided in Aldeanueva, Valmaseda, while another family was established in Penacerrada, Laguardia, in Alava.

Early History of the Cao family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cao research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1476, 1526, 1601 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Cao History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cao Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cano, Cao, Cane, Caño and others.

Early Notables of the Cao family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cao Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cao Ranking

In the United States, the name Cao is the 7,425^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Cao migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cao Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jose Cao, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1856 2
Juan Cao, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1868 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Cao (post 1700) +

Cao Yuan (b. 1995), Chinese diver and an Olympic gold medalist, having won two golds, one silver and one bronze in the Olympics. He has also won golds in diving at the World Championships and World Cups
Cao Yu (b. 1910), Chinese playwright

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)