Rao (simplified Chinese: 饶; traditional Chinese: 饒; pinyin: Ráo; Wade–Giles: Jao) is a Chinese family name.

It can also be spelled as "Yow" or "Yaw".

The surname Rao is approximately 2200 years old, and originated in the area near present-day Linfen county in Shanxi province.

[citation needed] It is the 181st most common name being shared by around 730,000 people or 0.055% of the population with the province with the most people being Jiangxi.

It is on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.