# Rao

> English word · Proper noun · frequency rank #19,675

## Definitions
1. A surname.

## Etymology
* As an Italian surname, reduced from Radulfo. See Rolf, Ralph, Raul, etc.
* As an Indian surname, from Marathi राव (rāv), Gujarati રાવ (rāv), Telugu రావు (rāvu), etc.; all ultimately from Sanskrit राजन् (rājan, “king”).
* As a Chinese surname, from the place name 饒 /饶 (ráo). More at Rao.

## Easily confused with
- **re** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-re)
- **RS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rs)
- **rd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rd)
- **RT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rt)
- **RM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rm)
- **RN** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rn)
- **RI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-ri)
- **RP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rp)
- **RC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rc)
- **RF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rf)
- **RV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rv)
- **RR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rr)
- **RL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rl)
- **RH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rh)
- **RW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-rw)
- **run** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-run)
- **red** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-red)
- **ray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-ray)
- **row** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-row)
- **raw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rao-vs-raw)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rao