2000
#10,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,713
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Uncommon Last name
Ding
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Ding or referring to a person who made or used dings (ancient Chinese cauldrons).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,512 Americans carry the last name Ding. That puts it at #3,774 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ding 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 Ding with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,606
Census rank
#3,774
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,167 bearers of the surname Ding in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3774th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ding, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ding
The surname "DING" originated in China, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "ding," which means "summit" or "top of a mountain." The earliest known records of this surname can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) in the regions of Shandong and Henan provinces.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), the name "DING" appeared in several historical texts and records. One notable mention is in the "Song Huiyao," a compilation of administrative documents from the Song era, where a scholar named Ding Weijing (1015-1079 CE) is referenced.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), the "DING" surname gained prominence through several notable figures. Ding Henian (1457-1510 CE), a renowned writer and calligrapher, was highly respected during his time. Another notable bearer of this surname was Ding Richang (1516-1599 CE), a renowned military strategist and author of the influential work "Ding Shi Quan Shu" (The Complete Works of Ding Richang).
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 CE), the "DING" surname was well-represented in various fields. Ding Baozhen (1820-1886 CE) was a prominent scholar and philosopher, while Ding Gongchen (1872-1948 CE) was a respected educator and reformist who played a significant role in the modernization of China's education system.
In more recent history, Ding Ling (1904-1986 CE) was a renowned writer and playwright who became a prominent figure in the May Fourth Movement, a socio-cultural revolution that shaped modern Chinese literature and thought.
While the "DING" surname has its origins in China, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide a glimpse into the rich history and evolution of this surname within the Chinese cultural context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ding
Among Census respondents with the surname Ding, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ding 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 Ding surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.5% · 8,569
- White4.0% · 364
- Two or more races1.1% · 101
- Black or African American0.9% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ding
Ding 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
#6,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,973
+2,260 bearers (+83.3%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Up 4,010 places
2020
#3,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,167
+4,194 bearers (+84.3%)
Per 100,000 3.07
Rank movement Up 3,010 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,794 | 2,713 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,784 | 4,973 | 1.69 | +2,260 bearers (+83.3%) | Up 4,010 places |
| 2020 | #3,774 | 9,167 | 3.07 | +4,194 bearers (+84.3%) | Up 3,010 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 Ding 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 | #6,784 | #3,774 | 44.4% |
| Count | 4,973 | 9,167 | 84.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 3.07 | 81.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ding bearers went from 4,973 to 9,167 (+84.3% change). The surname moved up 3,010 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,784 to #3,774.
FAQ
Ding surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ding?
Name Census estimates that about 10,512 living Americans carry the surname Ding. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,606 residents.
How common is Ding?
Ding ranks #3,774 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.07 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 9,167 people with the surname Ding. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,512), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.07 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 Ding.
Has Ding become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ding went from 4,973 recorded bearers to 9,167. That is an increase of 4,194 (+84.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,784 to #3,774.
What does the Census say about the background of Ding?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ding, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Ding in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (8,569 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ding appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.5%), White (4.0%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Ding (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 Ding mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Ding or referring to a person who made or used dings (ancient Chinese cauldrons). 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 Ding (3.07 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 surname Ding?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.