2000
#4,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,926
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.57
Rare Last name
Choe
A Korean surname derived from the Hanja character meaning "mountain" or "pinnacle."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,849 Americans carry the last name Choe. That puts it at #4,458 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,734 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Choe 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.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 38,734
Census rank
#4,458
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,717 bearers of the surname Choe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4458th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Choe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Choe
Among Census respondents with the surname Choe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Choe 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 Choe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.7% · 7,157
- Two or more races3.4% · 261
- White2.3% · 181
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 68
- Black or African American0.4% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Choe
Choe 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
#4,560
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,776
+850 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 2.64
Rank movement Up 122 places
2020
#4,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,717
-59 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 2.58
Rank movement Up 102 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,682 | 6,926 | 2.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,560 | 7,776 | 2.64 | +850 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 122 places |
| 2020 | #4,458 | 7,717 | 2.58 | -59 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 102 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 Choe 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 | #4,560 | #4,458 | 2.2% |
| Count | 7,776 | 7,717 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.64 | 2.58 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Choe bearers went from 7,776 to 7,717 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,560 to #4,458.
FAQ
Choe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Choe?
Name Census estimates that about 8,849 living Americans carry the surname Choe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,734 residents.
How common is Choe?
Choe ranks #4,458 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.58 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 7,717 people with the surname Choe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,849), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.58 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 Choe.
Has Choe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Choe went from 7,776 recorded bearers to 7,717. That is a decrease of 59 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,560 to #4,458.
What does the Census say about the background of Choe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Choe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.3%). 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 Choe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (7,157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Choe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%), White (2.3%). 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 Choe (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 Choe mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Hanja character meaning "mountain" or "pinnacle." 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 Choe (2.58 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 Choe?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Choe, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.