Find out how popular the last name Chiang is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chiang.

Chiang, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chiang surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chiang in America

Chiang is the 4022nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chiang surname appeared 8,841 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Chiang.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chiang to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chiang

The surname Chiang originates from China, and can be traced back to the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Chinese word "jiang," which means "river" or "stream." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to people who lived near a river or worked on the water.

In ancient Chinese records, the name Chiang appeared in various forms, such as Jiang, Giang, and Kiang, reflecting different dialects and regional variations. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Book of Tang, a historical record of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where it mentions a notable figure named Chiang Kui.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the name Chiang was associated with several prominent scholars and officials. For example, Chiang Shang (1063-1135) was a renowned Neo-Confucian philosopher and poet, while Chiang Yizhong (1031-1115) was a celebrated calligrapher and painter.

In the 13th century, the Mongolian Empire under Kublai Khan invaded parts of China, and some members of the Chiang family were recorded as serving in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). One such figure was Chiang Tsun-hsuan (1249-1333), a prominent diplomat and advisor to Kublai Khan.

As China entered the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Chiang surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals. Chiang Yu (1516-1596) was a renowned military strategist and commander, while Chiang Ching (1554-1628) was a respected scholar and poet.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the Chiang family produced several influential figures, including Chiang Shih-chieh (1836-1896), a prominent reformist and advocate for modernization, and Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975), a military leader and politician who played a pivotal role in the 20th century history of China and Taiwan.

Throughout its long history, the Chiang surname has been associated with various regions of China, including Fujian, Guangdong, and Zhejiang provinces, where it has been particularly prevalent. The name has also been linked to several place names, such as Chiang'an (an ancient capital of China) and Chiang-tu (a historical city in Jiangsu province).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chiang

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chiang.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chiang was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chiang has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chiang was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chiang, please contact us.

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