2000
#4,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,885
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.92
Uncommon Last name
Chou
A Chinese surname meaning "stinking" or "smelly," likely referring to a foul-smelling plant or strong-smelling spices.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,043 Americans carry the last name Chou. That puts it at #3,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,461 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chou 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 Chou with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,461
Census rank
#3,347
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,502 bearers of the surname Chou in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chou, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chou
The surname CHOU has its origins in China, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC). It is derived from the Chinese character 周, which means "surrounding" or "encompassing." The Zhou Dynasty was a pivotal period in Chinese history, during which the concept of the Mandate of Heaven was developed, establishing the legitimacy of the ruling house based on moral virtue.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname CHOU was Zhou Gong (周公), the Duke of Zhou, who lived in the 11th century BC. He was a prominent figure during the Western Zhou Dynasty and is credited with establishing many of the governmental and social structures that shaped Chinese civilization.
The CHOU surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout Chinese history. Zhou Dunyi (周敦颐, 1017–1073) was a renowned Neo-Confucian philosopher and one of the founders of the Lixue (理学) school of thought. His works, such as the "Taiji Tushuo" (太极图说), were highly influential in the development of Neo-Confucian cosmology.
Another prominent individual with the CHOU surname was Zhou Enlai (周恩来, 1898–1976), a Chinese revolutionary and statesman who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1949 until his death. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Communist government and was instrumental in shaping China's foreign policy during the Cold War era.
In the realm of literature, Zhou Shuren (周树人, 1881–1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun (鲁迅), was a leading figure in the May Fourth Movement and is considered one of the most influential modern Chinese writers. His works, such as the short story collections "Nahan" (呐喊) and "Panghuang" (朋黄), exposed the social ills of traditional Chinese society and advocated for cultural and political reform.
The CHOU surname has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Zhouxian (周县) in Hebei Province and Zhoushan (舟山) in Zhejiang Province. These place names often derive from the Zhou Dynasty or are related to the surname's meaning of "surrounding" or "encompassing."
While the CHOU surname has a rich history and cultural significance in China, it has also gained recognition worldwide, with individuals bearing this surname making contributions across various fields, from politics and philosophy to literature and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chou
Among Census respondents with the surname Chou, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Chou 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 Chou surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.5% · 9,715
- Two or more races3.4% · 352
- White2.6% · 276
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 138
- Black or African American0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chou
Chou 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
#3,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,834
+1,949 bearers (+24.7%)
Per 100,000 3.33
Rank movement Up 553 places
2020
#3,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,502
+668 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 3.51
Rank movement Up 263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,163 | 7,885 | 2.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,610 | 9,834 | 3.33 | +1,949 bearers (+24.7%) | Up 553 places |
| 2020 | #3,347 | 10,502 | 3.51 | +668 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 263 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 Chou 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 | #3,610 | #3,347 | 7.3% |
| Count | 9,834 | 10,502 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.33 | 3.51 | 5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chou bearers went from 9,834 to 10,502 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 263 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,610 to #3,347.
FAQ
Chou surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chou?
Name Census estimates that about 12,043 living Americans carry the surname Chou. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,461 residents.
How common is Chou?
Chou ranks #3,347 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,502 people with the surname Chou. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,043), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Chou.
Has Chou become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chou went from 9,834 recorded bearers to 10,502. That is an increase of 668 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,610 to #3,347.
What does the Census say about the background of Chou?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chou, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.6%). 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 Chou in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (9,715 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chou appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.4%), White (2.6%). 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 Chou (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 Chou mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "stinking" or "smelly," likely referring to a foul-smelling plant or strong-smelling spices. 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 Chou (3.51 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 Chou?
See how many people are called Chou on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.