2000
#11,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,461
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Hau
A Chinese surname meaning "marquis" or "high ranking official," or a German surname derived from a short form of "Hugo."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,607 Americans carry the last name Hau. That puts it at #12,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,475 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hau 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 Hau with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,475
Census rank
#12,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,273 bearers of the surname Hau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hau, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (28.9%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hau
The surname HAU originates from Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "hau," which means "a blow" or "a stroke." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone known for their strength or physical prowess.
In the 16th century, the surname HAU appeared in various records and manuscripts from the region of Bavaria, particularly in the towns of Augsburg and Munich. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was Hans Hau, a blacksmith who lived in Augsburg during the mid-1500s.
As the name spread throughout Germany, it also took on variations in spelling, such as Hauw, Haue, and Hauwe, reflecting local dialects and pronunciation differences. Some of these variations were also associated with specific place names, like Hauberg, a small village near Cologne.
One notable historical figure with the surname HAU was Johann Hau, a German philosopher and theologian born in 1658 in Nuremberg. He authored several works on moral philosophy and ethics, including "De Virtutibus Moralibus" (On Moral Virtues), published in 1690.
Another individual of note was Wilhelm Hau, born in 1824 in Berlin. He was a prominent German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other cities during the late 19th century, including the Reichstag building and the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral).
In the realm of literature, Theodor Hau, born in 1867 in Hanover, was a renowned German playwright and novelist. His works, such as "Die Königin von Saba" (The Queen of Sheba) and "Das Haus Rabe" (The House of Rabe), explored themes of love, family, and social commentary.
The surname HAU also made its way to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and Austria. One notable Swiss figure was Heinrich Hau, born in 1892 in Zurich. He was a pioneering mountaineer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Himalayas and was the first person to summit the treacherous peak of Annapurna in 1950.
In Austria, the name HAU was associated with the noble family of Hau von Stetten, who traced their lineage back to the 13th century. They held significant landholdings and political influence in the region of Upper Austria for several centuries.
While these examples provide a glimpse into the historical significance and widespread presence of the surname HAU, it is important to note that the name's origins and evolution continue to be researched and documented by genealogists and historians alike.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hau
Among Census respondents with the surname Hau, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (28.9%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hau 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 Hau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander56.7% · 1,289
- White28.9% · 656
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 180
- Black or African American4.0% · 92
- Two or more races2.2% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hau
Hau 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
#9,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,592
+1,131 bearers (+46.0%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 2,587 places
2020
#12,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,273
-1,319 bearers (-36.7%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 3,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,680 | 2,461 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,093 | 3,592 | 1.22 | +1,131 bearers (+46.0%) | Up 2,587 places |
| 2020 | #12,925 | 2,273 | 0.76 | -1,319 bearers (-36.7%) | Down 3,832 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 Hau 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 | #9,093 | #12,925 | -42.1% |
| Count | 3,592 | 2,273 | -36.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 0.76 | -37.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hau bearers went from 3,592 to 2,273 (-36.7% change). The surname moved down 3,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,093 to #12,925.
FAQ
Hau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hau?
Name Census estimates that about 2,607 living Americans carry the surname Hau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,475 residents.
How common is Hau?
Hau ranks #12,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,273 people with the surname Hau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Hau.
Has Hau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hau went from 3,592 recorded bearers to 2,273. That is a decrease of 1,319 (-36.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,093 to #12,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Hau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hau, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 56.7%. The next largest groups are White (28.9%) and Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Hau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.7% (1,289 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (56.7%), White (28.9%), Hispanic (7.9%). 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 Hau (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 Hau mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "marquis" or "high ranking official," or a German surname derived from a short form of "Hugo." 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 Hau (0.76 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 Americans have the surname Hau?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.