Diao last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Diao

A Chinese surname possibly derived from the place name Diao in Jiangsu province.

Diao, 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 Diao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Diao in America

Diao is the 52383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Diao surname appeared 396 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Diao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Diao 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 52383 95567 -58.38%
Count 396 177 76.44%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.07 60.00%

The history of the last name Diao

The surname DIAO has its origins in China, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of the country, particularly in the provinces of Hebei and Shanxi. The name DIAO is derived from the Chinese character "刁," which means "crooked" or "twisted."

Historical records indicate that the DIAO surname first appeared in the Tang Dynasty census registers. It is believed to have been adopted by families who lived in areas with winding roads or along curved rivers. The earliest known individual with the DIAO surname was Diao Yunxi, a renowned poet and scholar who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the DIAO surname gained prominence with the birth of Diao Guangyin (1015-1090), a prominent military strategist and advisor to Emperor Shenzong. Guangyin's descendants continued to serve in various government positions throughout the Song and subsequent dynasties.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the DIAO surname was associated with several notable figures, including Diao Xian (1579-1648), a celebrated playwright and author, and Diao Zhenyi (1601-1679), a famous calligrapher and scholar. The name also appeared in local records and manuscripts from various regions of China during this period.

One of the most renowned individuals with the DIAO surname was Diao Shengzhi (1869-1934), a prominent educator and pioneer of modern Chinese education. He established several schools and played a crucial role in introducing Western educational concepts to China.

Another notable figure was Diao Chunming (1897-1973), a renowned artist and painter who helped revive traditional Chinese brush painting techniques. His works are widely celebrated and can be found in many prestigious museums and collections.

Throughout history, the DIAO surname has been associated with various place names and locations in China, such as Diao Village in Hebei Province and Diao Town in Shandong Province. These place names often reflect the origin and migration patterns of families with the DIAO surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Diao

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

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 Diao was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.54% 14
Non-Hispanic Black Only 16.92% 67
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 76.01% 301
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.78% 11
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Diao has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.54% (S)% (S)%
Black 16.92% 15.82% 6.72%
Asian and Pacific Islander 76.01% 77.97% -2.55%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.78% 4.52% -47.67%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Diao last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/diao-surname-popularity/.

"Diao last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/diao-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Diao last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/diao-surname-popularity/.

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