2000
#2,498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.91
Uncommon Last name
Chau
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Zou, meaning "department" or "prefecture."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,406 Americans carry the last name Chau. That puts it at #1,977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,797 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chau 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 Chau with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,797
Census rank
#1,977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,795 bearers of the surname Chau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chau, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chau
The surname CHAU is believed to have originated in Vietnam and parts of southern China, with its roots dating back several centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Chinese word "chau," which means "stream" or "river," suggesting that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived near bodies of water.
One of the earliest known references to the name CHAU can be found in ancient Vietnamese records from the 15th century, where it was sometimes spelled as "Châu" or "Châu." These documents indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the northern and central regions of Vietnam, where many rivers and streams flow.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the CHAU surname gained prominence in parts of southern China, particularly in the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi. Historical records from this period mention several notable individuals bearing the name, including Chau Ching-Ngai (1550-1620), a renowned scholar and philosopher from Guangdong.
In the 18th century, the CHAU name appeared in various British colonial records from Southeast Asia, reflecting the migration of Vietnamese and Chinese individuals to regions under British rule. One notable figure from this era was Chau Phra Naret (1722-1785), a Thai nobleman and military commander who played a pivotal role in the Siamese-Burmese War.
As trade and migration patterns evolved, the CHAU surname spread to other parts of the world, including Europe and the Americas. In the 19th century, historical records mention individuals such as Chau Vu (1802-1878), a Vietnamese scholar and diplomat who served as a representative to France, and Chau Chak Wing (1853-1926), a Chinese-Australian businessman and philanthropist.
Other notable individuals with the CHAU surname include Chau Siu Ki (1914-2003), a Hong Kong architect and urban planner known for his contributions to the city's skyline, and Chau Chak Wing (1957-), a prominent Australian-Chinese businessman and philanthropist who has made significant contributions to education and cultural institutions.
It's important to note that while the surname CHAU has its roots in Vietnam and southern China, it has since become a global name, carried by individuals of various ethnicities and backgrounds, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chau
Among Census respondents with the surname Chau, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Chau 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 Chau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.6% · 16,662
- Two or more races2.5% · 448
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 317
- White1.7% · 310
- Black or African American0.3% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chau
Chau 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
#2,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,667
+3,429 bearers (+25.9%)
Per 100,000 5.65
Rank movement Up 317 places
2020
#1,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,795
+1,128 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 5.95
Rank movement Up 204 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,498 | 13,238 | 4.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,181 | 16,667 | 5.65 | +3,429 bearers (+25.9%) | Up 317 places |
| 2020 | #1,977 | 17,795 | 5.95 | +1,128 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 204 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 Chau 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 | #2,181 | #1,977 | 9.4% |
| Count | 16,667 | 17,795 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 5.65 | 5.95 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chau bearers went from 16,667 to 17,795 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 204 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,181 to #1,977.
FAQ
Chau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chau?
Name Census estimates that about 20,406 living Americans carry the surname Chau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,797 residents.
How common is Chau?
Chau ranks #1,977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,795 people with the surname Chau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Chau.
Has Chau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chau went from 16,667 recorded bearers to 17,795. That is an increase of 1,128 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,181 to #1,977.
What does the Census say about the background of Chau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chau, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Chau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (16,662 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Chau (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 Chau mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Zou, meaning "department" or "prefecture." 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 Chau (5.95 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 are called Chau?
See how common the surname Chau is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.