2000
#13,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,991
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Banh
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Pan, meaning "country" or "state."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,912 Americans carry the last name Banh. That puts it at #11,797 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banh 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.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,704
Census rank
#11,797
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,539 bearers of the surname Banh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11797th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and White (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banh
The surname "BANH" is believed to have originated in Vietnam, where it has been a common family name for several centuries. The name is derived from the Vietnamese word "bánh," which means "cake" or "bread." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals involved in the baking or selling of baked goods, such as bakers or merchants.
In the 15th century, historical records from the Lê Dynasty mention a prominent figure named Nguyễn Đình Banh, who served as a military commander and advisor to Emperor Lê Thánh Tông. This early reference indicates that the surname was already well-established in Vietnamese society during that period.
Another notable individual bearing the surname was Trần Văn Banh, a renowned scholar and poet who lived during the 19th century. His works, including the collection "Thi Tập Văn Banh" (Poetry Collection of Van Banh), were widely acclaimed and have been preserved as part of Vietnam's literary heritage.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Banh family was prominently associated with the village of Bành Trạch, located in the present-day Thái Bình Province of northern Vietnam. This village is believed to have been the ancestral home of many individuals with the Banh surname, and it may have played a role in the name's geographical spread.
In more recent history, Nguyễn Văn Banh (1907-1988) was a respected Vietnamese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for South Vietnam during the 1960s. His contributions to international relations and diplomacy left a lasting impact on Vietnam's foreign policy during a tumultuous period.
Another notable figure was Đặng Văn Banh (1913-1999), a renowned Vietnamese painter and artist who was celebrated for his depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works are part of the permanent collections of several prestigious museums in Vietnam and abroad.
While the surname "BANH" has its roots in Vietnam, it has also been adopted by individuals of Vietnamese descent living in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, France, and Australia, among others.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banh
Among Census respondents with the surname Banh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and White (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Banh 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 Banh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.5% · 2,425
- Two or more races1.7% · 43
- White1.4% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 31
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banh
Banh 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
#12,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,415
+424 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 1,132 places
2020
#11,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,539
+124 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 978 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,907 | 1,991 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,775 | 2,415 | 0.82 | +424 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 1,132 places |
| 2020 | #11,797 | 2,539 | 0.85 | +124 bearers (+5.1%) | Up 978 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 Banh 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 | #12,775 | #11,797 | 7.7% |
| Count | 2,415 | 2,539 | 5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.85 | 3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banh bearers went from 2,415 to 2,539 (+5.1% change). The surname moved up 978 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,775 to #11,797.
FAQ
Banh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banh?
Name Census estimates that about 2,912 living Americans carry the surname Banh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,704 residents.
How common is Banh?
Banh ranks #11,797 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,539 people with the surname Banh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Banh.
Has Banh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banh went from 2,415 recorded bearers to 2,539. That is an increase of 124 (+5.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,775 to #11,797.
What does the Census say about the background of Banh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and White (1.4%). 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 Banh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (2,425 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%), White (1.4%). 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 Banh (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 Banh mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Pan, meaning "country" or "state." 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 Banh (0.85 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 many people have the last name Banh?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Banh on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.