2000
#424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 69,756
First available Census row
Per 100,000 25.86
Uncommon Last name
Chang
A Chinese surname meaning "prosperous, flourishing, or thriving," originally referring to an unobstructed or open trade route.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 95,616 Americans carry the last name Chang. That puts it at #373 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 27.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,585 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chang 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 Chang with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
96K
1 in 3,585
Census rank
#373
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
27.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
83K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 83,382 bearers of the surname Chang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 27.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 373rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chang
The surname Chang originated in China, with its roots dating back to the ancient Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). It is derived from the Chinese character "常," which means "constant" or "eternal." The name is believed to have first emerged in the areas around present-day Henan and Shandong provinces.
One of the earliest recorded appearances of the Chang surname can be found in the classic Chinese text, "The Analects of Confucius," compiled around the 5th century BC. This ancient work mentions several individuals with the surname, suggesting its widespread use during that era.
In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Chang surname gained prominence, particularly in the region of Chang'an, the capital city at the time. Several notable figures from this period bore the name, including Chang Jian (ca. 768-824), a renowned poet and calligrapher.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Chang surname continued to flourish, with many scholars and officials bearing the name. One of the most famous was Chang Pu (1057-1121), a renowned Confucian philosopher and literary theorist.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Chang surname spread across China, with several prominent figures emerging. One notable example was Chang Hen (1571-1635), a respected scholar and author who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
Another influential figure with the Chang surname was Chang Tsai (1020-1077), a renowned Neo-Confucian philosopher and scholar who lived during the Song Dynasty. His ideas and writings had a profound impact on Chinese thought and influenced generations of scholars.
Chang Heng (78-139 AD), a renowned astronomer, mathematician, and inventor during the Eastern Han Dynasty, was also a notable bearer of the Chang surname. He is credited with inventing the world's first seismometer and made significant contributions to the study of astronomy and calendars.
It is worth noting that the Chang surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Chinese history. For example, the ancient city of Chang'an, which served as the capital during several dynasties, is closely linked to the surname's origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chang
Among Census respondents with the surname Chang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Chang 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 Chang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.8% · 73,207
- Two or more races4.3% · 3,600
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 3,347
- White2.8% · 2,375
- Black or African American1.0% · 834
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chang
Chang 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
#391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 81,939
+12,183 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 27.78
Rank movement Up 33 places
2020
#373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 83,382
+1,443 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 27.90
Rank movement Up 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #424 | 69,756 | 25.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #391 | 81,939 | 27.78 | +12,183 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 33 places |
| 2020 | #373 | 83,382 | 27.90 | +1,443 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 18 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 Chang 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 | #391 | #373 | 4.6% |
| Count | 81,939 | 83,382 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 27.78 | 27.90 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chang bearers went from 81,939 to 83,382 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #391 to #373.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chang
FAQ
Chang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chang?
Name Census estimates that about 95,616 living Americans carry the surname Chang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,585 residents.
How common is Chang?
Chang ranks #373 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 27.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 28 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 83,382 people with the surname Chang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (95,616), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 27.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 27.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 28 of them to have the surname Chang.
Has Chang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chang went from 81,939 recorded bearers to 83,382. That is an increase of 1,443 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #391 to #373.
What does the Census say about the background of Chang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Chang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (73,207 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Chang (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 Chang mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "prosperous, flourishing, or thriving," originally referring to an unobstructed or open trade route. 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 Chang (27.90 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 Chang?
See how common the surname Chang is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.