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

Choe, 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 Choe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Choe in America

Choe is the 4560th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Choe surname appeared 7,776 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 Choe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Choe 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 Choe

The surname "CHOE" is of Korean origin, originating from the ancient kingdoms that once ruled the Korean peninsula. It is believed to have derived from the Korean word "choe," which means "highest" or "supreme."

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the "Samguk Sagi," a historical record of the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC - 935 AD) of ancient Korea. This text mentions several individuals with the surname Choe, who held positions of power and influence during that time.

In the Goryeo Dynasty (918 - 1392 AD), the Choe family was a prominent clan and played a significant role in the political landscape. One notable figure was Choe Chung-heon (1149 - 1219 AD), a military leader and statesman who temporarily ruled as the de facto king of Goryeo.

The Choe surname is also linked to the island of Jeju, located off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. It is believed that some Choe families migrated to Jeju during the Goryeo period, and the name became deeply rooted in the island's history and culture.

During the Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1897 AD), the Choe clan continued to hold influential positions in various regions of Korea. Choe Bu (1454 - 1504 AD) was a prominent scholar and philosopher, known for his contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism in Korea.

Another notable figure was Choe Ik-hyon (1833 - 1906 AD), a prominent scholar and diplomat who played a crucial role in the late 19th century during the period of modernization and interaction with Western powers.

Throughout history, the Choe surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the Choe clan was particularly influential in the regions of Gyeongju and Andong, and some variations of the name include "Choi" and "Chey."

Overall, the surname "CHOE" has a rich historical significance in Korean culture, with its roots tracing back to ancient times and its presence spanning various dynasties and regions of the Korean peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Choe

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

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 Choe 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 Choe 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 Choe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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