2000
#5,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,435
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Uncommon Last name
An
A Chinese surname meaning "peace" or "tranquility," or referring to an ancient Chinese state of the same name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,764 Americans carry the last name An. That puts it at #3,684 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,843 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the An surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for An with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,843
Census rank
#3,684
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.4K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,387 bearers of the surname An in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3684th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname An, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of An
The surname An is believed to have originated in China, where it can be traced back to the 6th century AD. It is derived from the Chinese word "an" which means "peace" or "tranquility". The name was originally used as a descriptive term for someone who lived a peaceful life or had a calm demeanor.
In ancient Chinese records, one of the earliest documented individuals with the surname An was An Lushan, a famous military governor and rebel leader who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). He is known for leading a rebellion against the Tang imperial court in 755 AD, which lasted for eight years and caused significant upheaval in the region.
Another notable figure with the surname An was An Qingxiu, a renowned Chinese calligrapher and scholar who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD). He was highly respected for his elegant calligraphic style and his contributions to the development of the art form.
In the 13th century, a Buddhist monk named An Xiji gained recognition for his travels throughout China and his efforts in spreading Buddhist teachings. His writings and teachings were widely circulated and influenced the growth of Buddhism in various regions.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a military strategist named An Zhengwen played a crucial role in the defense of the empire against Mongol invasions. His tactics and leadership were instrumental in several victories, earning him a prominent place in Chinese military history.
In more recent times, the surname An has been carried by notable individuals such as An Changlie, a 19th-century Chinese painter and calligrapher known for his innovative techniques and contributions to the development of modern Chinese art.
While the surname An has its roots in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchanges. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in Chinese culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for An
Among Census respondents with the surname An, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how An bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the An surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.4% · 8,765
- White3.0% · 285
- Two or more races1.7% · 162
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 122
- Black or African American0.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for An
An appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,160
+2,725 bearers (+50.1%)
Per 100,000 2.77
Rank movement Up 1,478 places
2020
#3,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,387
+1,227 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 3.14
Rank movement Up 669 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,831 | 5,435 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,353 | 8,160 | 2.77 | +2,725 bearers (+50.1%) | Up 1,478 places |
| 2020 | #3,684 | 9,387 | 3.14 | +1,227 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 669 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the An surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,353 | #3,684 | 15.4% |
| Count | 8,160 | 9,387 | 15.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.77 | 3.14 | 13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of An bearers went from 8,160 to 9,387 (+15.0% change). The surname moved up 669 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,353 to #3,684.
FAQ
An surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname An?
Name Census estimates that about 10,764 living Americans carry the surname An. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,843 residents.
How common is An?
An ranks #3,684 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,387 people with the surname An. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,764), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname An.
Has An become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname An went from 8,160 recorded bearers to 9,387. That is an increase of 1,227 (+15.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,353 to #3,684.
What does the Census say about the background of An?
Among Census respondents with the surname An, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname An in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (8,765 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
An appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.4%), White (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for An (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does An mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "peace" or "tranquility," or referring to an ancient Chinese state of the same name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for An (3.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname An?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname An, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.