Names starting with CHO are among the rarest in the English-speaking world, which is precisely what makes them worth considering. Parents looking for something that stands completely on its own, carries genuine meaning, and will never be shared with three other children in the same classroom tend to find what they are looking for here.
Most CHO names have roots in Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, Native American, and Spanish naming traditions. Each one carries something specific and worth knowing before you choose. Rarity alone is never a reason to pick a name, but rarity combined with a meaning and a sound you love is a very strong combination.
Here are 63+ CHO names for boys, girls, and both, with their origins and meanings.
CHO Names for Girls
CHO names for girls draw heavily from Japanese and Korean traditions where the sound carries associations with beauty, nature, and light. Several of the names here have been used for generations in their home cultures while remaining almost entirely undiscovered in the West, which gives them a genuine freshness for English-speaking parents.
1. Cho — Japanese and Korean origin, meaning butterfly or beautiful depending on the characters used. One of the most elegant single-syllable names in either language.
2. Choa — Korean origin, meaning beautiful and good. Soft in sound and quietly strong in meaning.
3. Chohana — Japanese origin, combining cho meaning butterfly and hana meaning flower. Meaning butterfly flower.
4. Chohee — Korean origin, meaning good and joyful. Two qualities that make for an optimistic name choice.
5. Choka — Japanese origin, meaning butterfly song. Carries a musical and natural quality together.
6. Choko — Japanese origin, meaning butterfly child. A warm name with a gentle, rounded sound.
7. Cholena — Native American origin from the Delaware tradition, meaning bird. One of the most lyrical CHO names available.
8. Choli — Spanish origin, a diminutive of Soledad, meaning solitude, traditionally associated with a title of the Virgin Mary.
9. Chona — Spanish origin, a familiar form of Ramona and Juana, meaning wise protector or God is gracious depending on the root name.
10. Chonda — American variant with roots in Welsh-origin names, carrying a rhythmic and flowing sound.
11. Chontel — Modern variant of Chantal, a name of French origin meaning stone, referring to steadiness and strength.
12. Chontelle — Expanded variant of Chantal carrying the same French roots and meaning.
13. Choori — Indian origin used in Rajasthani tradition, meaning bangles or bracelets, associated with celebration and adornment.
14. Chora — Greek origin, meaning land or place. Ancient and grounded in its meaning.
15. Choreh — Persian feminine name meaning young face or fresh complexion.
16. Chori — Spanish Romani origin, carrying associations with freedom and an independent spirit.
17. Chorine — English vintage name used in the early twentieth century for a member of a chorus, theatrical and spirited in quality.
18. Chouko — Japanese origin, an extended form of Cho meaning butterfly child, written with the honorific ko suffix traditional in Japanese feminine names.
19. Choyeon — Korean origin, meaning beautiful and lotus. Combines nature and elegance in a single name.
20. Chofa — Hebrew origin, meaning seeing or a seer. Rare even within Hebrew naming tradition.
21. Chofi — Hebrew diminutive of Chofa, softer in sound with the same root meaning of sight.
22. Cholla — Native American origin, also the name of a flowering desert plant, carrying associations with resilience and natural beauty.
23. Chonita — Spanish diminutive, a warm and affectionate variant used in Latin American communities.
24. Chomana — Native American origin from the Hopi tradition, meaning bluebird maiden. Strong visual and natural imagery behind it.
25. Chorim — Korean origin, meaning beautiful forest. Combines nature and aesthetic beauty in a name that sounds distinctive in any language.
26. Chowon — Korean origin, meaning wish or desire. Given to children with the hope they will find what they seek in life.
27. Chorisa — Modern elaborated form with a musical association through its closeness to the word chorist, carrying a creative and performing arts feel.
CHO Names for Boys
CHO boy names are even rarer in Western naming traditions, which makes them a distinctive choice for parents willing to move beyond familiar territory. The strongest options here come from Hebrew, Korean, Native American, and Pashto traditions and carry meanings rooted in nature, faith, and character.
28. Chon — Korean origin, meaning heaven or sky. Short, strong, and clean in its directness.
29. Chone — Basque origin, a traditional variant of John meaning God is gracious. One of the oldest meanings in naming history carried in a completely unfamiliar sound.
30. Chong — Korean and Chinese origin, meaning intelligent or quick-minded. A name with genuine intellectual association across two major cultures.
31. Choni — Hebrew origin, the name of a Talmudic sage known as Choni the Circle Drawer, meaning gracious or full of grace.
32. Chono — Native American origin from the Miwok tradition, meaning bear pushing down pine needles. A name with a specific and striking natural image behind it.
33. Chopan — Pashto and Persian origin, meaning shepherd. Used across Afghanistan and parts of Iran, carrying associations with care, guidance, and the land.
34. Chopin — French origin, most recognised as the surname of composer Frédéric Chopin. Used as a given name by parents with a deep connection to music or French culture.
35. Choram — Biblical Hebrew origin appearing in scriptural genealogical records, an ancient name with deep historical roots.
36. Chorin — Hebrew origin, connected to priestly lineage and appearing in historical records as both a place name and personal name.
37. Chor — Sanskrit origin used in Indian traditions, meaning one who moves freely. Also appears in Hebrew textual contexts.
38. Choreh — Persian masculine name meaning youthful or fresh faced, used in Iran and among Persian diaspora communities.
39. Chombo — African origin used in Bantu-language communities, carrying positive associations with skill and practical capability.
40. Chonde — Zimbabwean origin from Shona-speaking communities, a name given to children born in particular circumstances or seasons.
41. Chopin — Used also in Polish communities in honour of the composer, as both homage and given name.
42. Choram — Appears in the genealogies of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible, connecting the bearer to one of the oldest naming traditions in existence.
Unisex CHO Names
These names sit comfortably on both boys and girls and work well for parents looking for something genuinely gender-neutral rather than a name that simply leans one direction.
43. Cho — The most versatile CHO name of all. Works for boys and girls across Japanese and Korean usage equally.
44. Choni — Used for both boys and girls in Hebrew tradition. The meaning, gracious, carries equal warmth regardless of gender.
45. Choreh — Used in Persian tradition for both boys and girls depending on the family and region.
46. Chong — Korean and Chinese usage extends to both sexes, with the meaning of intelligence applying equally.
47. Chone — Basque tradition uses this as both a male and female name, with the underlying meaning of God is gracious applying across both.
CHO Names by Culture
The CHO sound appears in naming traditions across very different parts of the world. Understanding where a name comes from adds a layer of meaning that the sound alone cannot provide.
Japanese CHO Names
Japanese CHO names almost always connect to the butterfly, one of the most beloved symbols in Japanese culture representing transformation, grace, and the beauty of impermanence.
48. Cho — Butterfly.
49. Choko — Butterfly child.
50. Chouko — Butterfly child with the traditional feminine ko suffix.
51. Chohana — Butterfly flower.
52. Choka — Butterfly song.
Korean CHO Names
Korean CHO names tend to centre on beauty, goodness, and natural imagery. The same sound can carry different meanings depending on which characters are used when the name is written.
53. Choa — Beautiful.
54. Chohee — Good and joyful.
55. Chorim — Beautiful forest.
56. Choyeon — Beautiful and lotus.
57. Chowon — Wish or desire.
Hebrew CHO Names
Hebrew CHO names are rare but rooted in ancient tradition. Those that exist appear in Talmudic or Biblical contexts and carry meanings connected to grace, sight, and spiritual life.
58. Choni — Gracious.
59. Chofa — Seeing or seer.
60. Chofi — Softer diminutive of Chofa.
Native American CHO Names
Native American CHO names come from several distinct traditions and carry some of the most visually specific and nature-rooted meanings in this entire list.
61. Cholena — Bird, from the Delaware tradition.
62. Chono — Bear pushing down pine needles, from the Miwok tradition.
63. Chomana — Bluebird maiden, from the Hopi tradition.
64. Cholla — Desert flower, used across several southwestern traditions.
Pronunciation and What to Expect
CHO names come with a pronunciation question that most starting sounds do not raise. English speakers encountering CHO for the first time sometimes read it as a hard CH like the word cheese, when most CHO names from Japanese and Korean traditions use a softer, open CH closer to the sound in chair or child.
Before settling on a name, say it out loud as the culture of origin would pronounce it and then decide honestly whether you are comfortable with the gentle correction your child may need to offer throughout their life. Some parents find that a lifetime of explaining the pronunciation feels like part of the name’s identity and its connection to its cultural roots. Others prefer to choose a name that reads correctly in the country where they live without any extra context needed.
Final Thoughts
CHO names are genuinely rare, genuinely beautiful, and genuinely worth considering for parents who want a name that carries real meaning from a real tradition without being recycled from the current list of popular choices.
The best one is the name whose meaning sits right with you, whose sound you love to say out loud, and whose origin you are glad to explain when someone asks where it came from. With CHO names, that explanation is almost always an interesting one.