2000
#29,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 756
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Rare Last name
Geng
An anglicized spelling of Chinese surname derived from peaceful meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,209 Americans carry the last name Geng. That puts it at #14,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Geng 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.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 155,163
Census rank
#14,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,926 bearers of the surname Geng in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Geng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Geng
The surname GENG is believed to have originated in China, with roots dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "geng," which can mean "wide" or "extensive." The name was initially associated with people from the Geng or Gong regions in China, particularly in the provinces of Jiangsu and Henan.
In ancient Chinese records, the earliest known mention of the surname GENG can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, when it appeared in official genealogical records and local chronicles. During this period, the GENG family was recognized as a prominent lineage in various regions of China.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname GENG was Geng Shouchang (fl. 710-720 AD), a renowned scholar and poet during the Tang Dynasty. Another notable figure was Geng Xuezhuang (fl. 1150-1230 AD), a Confucian scholar and philosopher during the Song Dynasty.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname GENG gained further prominence with the rise of Geng Jingzhong (1554-1634), a renowned military strategist and general who played a crucial role in suppressing various rebellions and defending the empire's borders.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the GENG family produced several influential figures, including Geng Zhongming (1798-1876), a scholar and official who served as a provincial governor and advocated for educational reforms.
Another prominent individual was Geng Jizhi (1840-1896), a pioneering diplomat and one of the first Chinese ambassadors to Western countries, serving in diplomatic roles in the United Kingdom, Russia, and Germany.
Throughout history, the surname GENG has been associated with various place names and localities in China. For instance, the Geng County (now part of Henan Province) and the Geng District in Jiangsu Province were named after the GENG lineage.
While the surname GENG is primarily found in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance can be traced back to the ancient Chinese dynasties and the regions where the GENG family flourished.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Geng
Among Census respondents with the surname Geng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Geng 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 Geng surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.5% · 1,531
- White15.7% · 302
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 43
- Two or more races1.3% · 26
- Black or African American1.1% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Geng
Geng 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
#22,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,146
+390 bearers (+51.6%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 6,997 places
2020
#14,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,926
+780 bearers (+68.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 7,662 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,447 | 756 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,450 | 1,146 | 0.39 | +390 bearers (+51.6%) | Up 6,997 places |
| 2020 | #14,788 | 1,926 | 0.64 | +780 bearers (+68.1%) | Up 7,662 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 Geng 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 | #22,450 | #14,788 | 34.1% |
| Count | 1,146 | 1,926 | 68.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.64 | 65.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Geng bearers went from 1,146 to 1,926 (+68.1% change). The surname moved up 7,662 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,450 to #14,788.
FAQ
Geng surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Geng?
Name Census estimates that about 2,209 living Americans carry the surname Geng. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,163 residents.
How common is Geng?
Geng ranks #14,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,926 people with the surname Geng. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Geng.
Has Geng become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Geng went from 1,146 recorded bearers to 1,926. That is an increase of 780 (+68.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,450 to #14,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Geng?
Among Census respondents with the surname Geng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Geng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (1,531 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Geng appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.5%), White (15.7%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Geng (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 Geng mean?
An anglicized spelling of Chinese surname derived from peaceful meaning. 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 Geng (0.64 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 common is the surname Geng?
See how many Americans have the surname Geng on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.