2000
#12,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,208
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Hsiao
A Chinese surname meaning "filial piety" or "auspicious, dawn, or the morning light."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,493 Americans carry the last name Hsiao. That puts it at #10,086 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,126 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hsiao 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
3.5K
1 in 98,126
Census rank
#10,086
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,046 bearers of the surname Hsiao in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10086th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hsiao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hsiao
The surname HSIAO originates from China, with records dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is a transliteration of the Chinese character "蕭," which is pronounced as "xiao" in Mandarin Chinese. The character itself is composed of two parts, "艹" (grass radical) and "宵" (evening), suggesting a possible connection to nature or the evening hours.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HSIAO surname can be found in the "Tang Huiyao," a historical text that records the events and affairs of the Tang Dynasty. The text mentions several individuals with the HSIAO surname, including HSIAO Chih, a renowned poet and calligrapher who lived during the 9th century.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the HSIAO surname gained prominence through the achievements of HSIAO Hung, a prominent military leader and strategist. He played a crucial role in defending the Song Empire against the Khitan Liao Dynasty and was celebrated for his tactical brilliance on the battlefield.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the HSIAO surname was associated with a notable scholar and philosopher named HSIAO Yan. His works on Confucian thought and ethics were highly influential during his time and are still studied by scholars today.
Another prominent figure with the HSIAO surname was HSIAO Yao-yi, a 17th-century painter and calligrapher renowned for his landscape paintings and his mastery of the cursive script. His works are considered treasures of Chinese art and have been exhibited in museums around the world.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the HSIAO surname was carried by HSIAO Lin, a renowned playwright and author. His works, which often explored themes of social commentary and satire, were widely popular and continue to be studied as important works of Chinese literature.
It is worth noting that the HSIAO surname is also found in various place names across China, such as Hsiao County in Guangdong Province and Hsiao Township in Sichuan Province, further highlighting the historical significance and widespread presence of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hsiao
Among Census respondents with the surname Hsiao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hsiao 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 Hsiao surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.0% · 2,833
- Two or more races3.9% · 120
- White2.3% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hsiao
Hsiao 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
#11,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,666
+458 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 1,048 places
2020
#10,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,046
+380 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 1,665 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,799 | 2,208 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,751 | 2,666 | 0.90 | +458 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 1,048 places |
| 2020 | #10,086 | 3,046 | 1.02 | +380 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 1,665 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 Hsiao 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 | #11,751 | #10,086 | 14.2% |
| Count | 2,666 | 3,046 | 14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 1.02 | 13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hsiao bearers went from 2,666 to 3,046 (+14.3% change). The surname moved up 1,665 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,751 to #10,086.
FAQ
Hsiao surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hsiao?
Name Census estimates that about 3,493 living Americans carry the surname Hsiao. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,126 residents.
How common is Hsiao?
Hsiao ranks #10,086 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,046 people with the surname Hsiao. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Hsiao.
Has Hsiao become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hsiao went from 2,666 recorded bearers to 3,046. That is an increase of 380 (+14.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,751 to #10,086.
What does the Census say about the background of Hsiao?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hsiao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (2.3%). 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 Hsiao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hsiao appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%), White (2.3%). 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 Hsiao (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 Hsiao mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "filial piety" or "auspicious, dawn, or the morning light." 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 Hsiao (1.02 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 share the surname Hsiao?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.