2000
#872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,390
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.49
Uncommon Last name
Choi
A Korean surname derived from the Sino-Korean word meaning "mountain," "pinnacle," or "high," referring to someone living near mountains.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 60,645 Americans carry the last name Choi. That puts it at #624 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Choi 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 Choi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
61K
1 in 5,652
Census rank
#624
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
53K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 52,885 bearers of the surname Choi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 624th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Choi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Choi
The surname "CHOI" is of Korean origin and can be traced back to the 7th century AD during the Silla Dynasty. It is believed to have originated from the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje, which was located in the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula. The name is derived from the Korean word "choe," which means "flourishing" or "prosperous."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "CHOI" can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, written in the 12th century. The book mentions a powerful noble family called "Choi" who played a significant role in the political affairs of the Silla Kingdom.
During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the Choi family continued to hold prominent positions in the royal court and government. One notable figure from this period was Choi Seung-ro (1025-1076), a renowned scholar and politician who served as the Prime Minister during the reign of King Munjong.
In the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the Choi surname remained influential, with several members holding high-ranking positions in the government and military. Choi Ik-hyon (1833-1906) was a prominent scholar and diplomat who played a crucial role in negotiating treaties with Western powers during the late 19th century.
Another notable figure with the surname "CHOI" was Choi Chi-won (1539-1612), a prominent Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of Korean Confucianism during the 16th century.
The Choi surname can also be found in various place names across Korea, such as Choi-ri (a village in Gyeongsangbuk-do province) and Choi-myeon (a township in Gangwon-do province). These place names often derive from the presence of Choi families in those regions.
Throughout history, the Choi surname has been associated with several influential figures in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. Some other notable individuals with the surname "CHOI" include Choi Museon (1337-1416), a renowned Buddhist monk and calligrapher; Choi Seung-hee (1911-1968), a celebrated novelist and poet; and Choi Yeong-sin (1932-2017), a renowned sculptor and ceramist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Choi
Among Census respondents with the surname Choi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Choi 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 Choi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.0% · 50,217
- White2.0% · 1,067
- Two or more races2.0% · 1,038
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 363
- Black or African American0.3% · 179
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Choi
Choi 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
#674
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 50,786
+14,396 bearers (+39.6%)
Per 100,000 17.22
Rank movement Up 198 places
2020
#624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 52,885
+2,099 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 17.69
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #872 | 36,390 | 13.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #674 | 50,786 | 17.22 | +14,396 bearers (+39.6%) | Up 198 places |
| 2020 | #624 | 52,885 | 17.69 | +2,099 bearers (+4.1%) | Up 50 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 Choi 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 | #674 | #624 | 7.4% |
| Count | 50,786 | 52,885 | 4.1% |
| Per 100K | 17.22 | 17.69 | 2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Choi bearers went from 50,786 to 52,885 (+4.1% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #674 to #624.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Choi
FAQ
Choi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Choi?
Name Census estimates that about 60,645 living Americans carry the surname Choi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,652 residents.
How common is Choi?
Choi ranks #624 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 18 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 52,885 people with the surname Choi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (60,645), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 18 of them to have the surname Choi.
Has Choi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Choi went from 50,786 recorded bearers to 52,885. That is an increase of 2,099 (+4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #674 to #624.
What does the Census say about the background of Choi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Choi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Choi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (50,217 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Choi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.0%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Choi (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 Choi mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Sino-Korean word meaning "mountain," "pinnacle," or "high," referring to someone living near mountains. 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 Choi (17.69 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 Choi?
Want to know how common the surname Choi is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.