2000
#4,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.70
Uncommon Last name
Chiang
A Chinese surname meaning "river" or referring to someone who lived near a river or worked as a boatman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,412 Americans carry the last name Chiang. That puts it at #3,811 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chiang 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 Chiang with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,919
Census rank
#3,811
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.1K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,080 bearers of the surname Chiang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3811th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chiang
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Chiang 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 Chiang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.8% · 8,241
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 296
- Two or more races3.2% · 288
- White2.6% · 233
- Black or African American0.2% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chiang
Chiang 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
#4,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,841
+1,551 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Up 457 places
2020
#3,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,080
+239 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 3.04
Rank movement Up 211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,479 | 7,290 | 2.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,022 | 8,841 | 3.00 | +1,551 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 457 places |
| 2020 | #3,811 | 9,080 | 3.04 | +239 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 211 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 Chiang 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 | #4,022 | #3,811 | 5.2% |
| Count | 8,841 | 9,080 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.00 | 3.04 | 1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chiang bearers went from 8,841 to 9,080 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 211 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,022 to #3,811.
FAQ
Chiang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chiang?
Name Census estimates that about 10,412 living Americans carry the surname Chiang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,919 residents.
How common is Chiang?
Chiang ranks #3,811 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.04 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 9,080 people with the surname Chiang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,412), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.04 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 Chiang.
Has Chiang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chiang went from 8,841 recorded bearers to 9,080. That is an increase of 239 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,022 to #3,811.
What does the Census say about the background of Chiang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chiang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Chiang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (8,241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chiang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.8%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Chiang (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 Chiang mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "river" or referring to someone who lived near a river or worked as a boatman. 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 Chiang (3.04 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 surname Chiang?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.