2000
#2,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,988
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.81
Uncommon Last name
Ha
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 夏, meaning "summer" or "great, grand, big."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 23,379 Americans carry the last name Ha. That puts it at #1,722 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,661 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ha 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 Ha with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 14,661
Census rank
#1,722
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,388 bearers of the surname Ha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1722nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ha
The surname "Ha" is believed to have originated in Vietnam, where it has been a common family name for centuries. Some linguists trace its roots to the ancient Vietnamese word "ha," which translates to "river" or "stream." This connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived near bodies of water.
In the 15th century, the name "Ha" appeared in several historical records, including the Annals of Dai Viet, a chronicle detailing the history of Vietnam during the Le Dynasty. One notable figure from this era was Ha Nhu An (1415-1496), a celebrated poet and scholar who served as a royal advisor to multiple Vietnamese emperors.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name "Ha" proliferated across various regions of Vietnam, particularly in the northern provinces. One prominent individual from this period was Ha Trung Hieu (1693-1765), a revered Confucian scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to Vietnamese literature and education.
The 19th century saw the rise of several influential figures bearing the "Ha" surname. Among them was Ha Huy Tap (1828-1908), a renowned poet and calligrapher who played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Vietnamese traditional arts and culture.
In more recent history, Ha Xuan Trung (1892-1979) was a prominent Vietnamese politician and diplomat who served as the first ambassador of the Republic of Vietnam to the United States.
Another notable figure was Ha Thi Que (1918-2003), a celebrated writer and revolutionary who played a crucial role in the Vietnamese independence movement against French colonial rule.
While the surname "Ha" has its roots in Vietnam, it has also been adopted by individuals of Vietnamese descent living in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and several European countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ha
Among Census respondents with the surname Ha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ha 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 Ha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.7% · 19,098
- White2.6% · 534
- Two or more races2.0% · 416
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 212
- Black or African American0.6% · 121
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ha
Ha 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
#1,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,156
+5,168 bearers (+39.8%)
Per 100,000 6.16
Rank movement Up 571 places
2020
#1,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,388
+2,232 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 6.82
Rank movement Up 265 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,558 | 12,988 | 4.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,987 | 18,156 | 6.16 | +5,168 bearers (+39.8%) | Up 571 places |
| 2020 | #1,722 | 20,388 | 6.82 | +2,232 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 265 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 Ha 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 | #1,987 | #1,722 | 13.3% |
| Count | 18,156 | 20,388 | 12.3% |
| Per 100K | 6.16 | 6.82 | 10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ha bearers went from 18,156 to 20,388 (+12.3% change). The surname moved up 265 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,987 to #1,722.
FAQ
Ha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ha?
Name Census estimates that about 23,379 living Americans carry the surname Ha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,661 residents.
How common is Ha?
Ha ranks #1,722 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,388 people with the surname Ha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (23,379), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ha.
Has Ha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ha went from 18,156 recorded bearers to 20,388. That is an increase of 2,232 (+12.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,987 to #1,722.
What does the Census say about the background of Ha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Ha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (19,098 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.7%), White (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Ha (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 Ha mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 夏, meaning "summer" or "great, grand, big." 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 Ha (6.82 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 last name Ha?
Find out how common the surname Ha is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.