2000
#1,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,318
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.53
Uncommon Last name
Han
A Chinese surname with various origins, often referring to the Han dynasty or the Han ethnic group.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,314 Americans carry the last name Han. That puts it at #953 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,296 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Han 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 Han with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
41K
1 in 8,296
Census rank
#953
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
36K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,028 bearers of the surname Han in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 953rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Han, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Han
The surname Han originates from China and has a long and rich history dating back to ancient times. It is believed to have derived from the Han Dynasty, which ruled China from 206 BC to 220 AD. The name Han was initially associated with the Han ethnic group, one of the largest ethnic groups in China.
During the Han Dynasty, the Han surname was widely used by the ruling class and nobility. It was also adopted by commoners who sought to associate themselves with the imperial family or the dominant Han culture. The name spread across various regions of China, including the central plains, the Yangtze River Basin, and the coastal areas.
In ancient Chinese records and manuscripts, the Han surname appears frequently. One notable example is the "Book of Han," a historical text that chronicles the events and figures of the Han Dynasty. This work provides valuable insights into the significance and prominence of the Han surname during that era.
The earliest recorded instance of the Han surname can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 9 AD). One of the most famous individuals with the Han surname was Han Xin (231 BC - 196 BC), a renowned military strategist who played a crucial role in the founding of the Han Dynasty.
Throughout history, the Han surname has been associated with numerous influential figures. Han Yu (768 AD - 824 AD) was a prominent writer, philosopher, and poet during the Tang Dynasty, renowned for his literary works and contributions to Neo-Confucianism. Han Fei (c. 280 BC - 233 BC), a Chinese philosopher and prince, is credited with developing the teachings of Legalism, a significant philosophical school of thought in ancient China.
Another notable figure was Han Gan (706 AD - 783 AD), a renowned painter and calligrapher during the Tang Dynasty, whose works are highly regarded in Chinese art history. Han Wendi (179 BC - 157 BC), also known as Emperor Gaozu, was the founder and first emperor of the Han Dynasty, establishing a dynasty that would rule for over four centuries.
The Han surname has also been linked to various place names and geographic locations within China. For example, the city of Handan in Hebei Province derives its name from the Han Dynasty, as it was an important strategic location during that period. Additionally, the Han River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River, is believed to have been named after the Han ethnic group.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Han
Among Census respondents with the surname Han, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Han 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 Han surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.7% · 33,412
- White3.8% · 1,376
- Two or more races1.9% · 693
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 363
- Black or African American0.5% · 173
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Han
Han 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
#1,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,847
+9,529 bearers (+46.9%)
Per 100,000 10.12
Rank movement Up 435 places
2020
#953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,028
+6,181 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 12.05
Rank movement Up 229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,617 | 20,318 | 7.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,182 | 29,847 | 10.12 | +9,529 bearers (+46.9%) | Up 435 places |
| 2020 | #953 | 36,028 | 12.05 | +6,181 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 229 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 Han 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 | #1,182 | #953 | 19.4% |
| Count | 29,847 | 36,028 | 20.7% |
| Per 100K | 10.12 | 12.05 | 19.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Han bearers went from 29,847 to 36,028 (+20.7% change). The surname moved up 229 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,182 to #953.
FAQ
Han surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Han?
Name Census estimates that about 41,314 living Americans carry the surname Han. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,296 residents.
How common is Han?
Han ranks #953 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,028 people with the surname Han. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Han.
Has Han become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Han went from 29,847 recorded bearers to 36,028. That is an increase of 6,181 (+20.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,182 to #953.
What does the Census say about the background of Han?
Among Census respondents with the surname Han, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Han in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (33,412 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Han appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.7%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Han (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 Han mean?
A Chinese surname with various origins, often referring to the Han dynasty or the Han ethnic group. 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 Han (12.05 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 Han?
Want to know how many people are called Han? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.