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

Duan, 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 Duan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Duan in America

Duan is the 16728th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Duan surname appeared 1,710 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Duan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Duan 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.

The history of the last name Duan

The surname DUAN originated in China and is believed to have emerged during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "duan," which means "short" or "broken." The name was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone who was short in stature or had a disability that caused them to appear short or broken.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname DUAN can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Historical records from this period mention individuals with this surname living in various regions of China, including Shandong, Henan, and Jiangsu provinces.

One notable individual bearing the surname DUAN was Duan Chengshi (1123-1185 AD), a prominent scholar and poet during the Southern Song Dynasty. He was known for his expertise in Confucian classics and his contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism.

Another historical figure with the surname DUAN was Duan Qirui (1835-1908), a prominent military leader and statesman during the late Qing Dynasty. He played a crucial role in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and later served as the Governor of Zhili Province.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname DUAN was also associated with several notable individuals. One example is Duan Tidu (1464-1546), a highly respected scholar and author who wrote extensively on Confucian philosophy and literature.

In the early 20th century, Duan Qirui (1865-1936), a politician and warlord, played a significant role in the Warlord Era of China. He served as the Premier of the Republic of China from 1918 to 1920 and was known for his attempts to unify the country during a period of political turmoil.

Throughout its history, the surname DUAN has been associated with various place names and locations in China. For instance, the town of Duanzhou in Guangdong Province is believed to have been named after individuals with the DUAN surname who settled in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Duan

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

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 Duan was:

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

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

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

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