The elasto-plastic characteristics and mechanical properties of as-received 8 mol% Y2O3-ZrO2 (8YSZ) coatings were studied by nanoindentation at ultra-low loads with a Berkovich indenter at room temperature. All experimental data including hardness H and elastic modulus E were analyzed by the Weibull statistical method due to the porous and heterogeneous nature of the tested samples. It was found that the hardness firstly exhibits interesting reverse indentation size effect, and then shows normal indentation size effect within different indentation scales. The average elastic modulus of 8YSZ was estimated as 214.8 +/- 13.2 GPa. In order to reveal the elasto-plastic characteristics of 8YSZ at nano-scales, the distribution of resolved shear stresses underneath the indenter tip region was evaluated by Hertzian contact theory when the deformation behavior of 8YSZ changed from fully elastic to elasto-plastic stages. The results shed light on understanding possible foreign object damage mechanisms of thermal barrier coating systems. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.