2000
#6,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,280
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Hua
A Chinese surname meaning "flower," "splendid," "prosperous," or "Chinese," depending on the characters used to write it.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,332 Americans carry the last name Hua. That puts it at #4,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,729 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hua 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 Hua with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.3K
1 in 36,729
Census rank
#4,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,138 bearers of the surname Hua in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hua
The surname HUA has its origins in China and can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). This family name is believed to have originated in Henan Province, specifically in the regions around the ancient city of Luoyang. The name is derived from the Chinese character "华" (huá), which means "splendid" or "magnificent".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HUA surname can be found in the Tang Dynasty's official records, specifically in the "Book of Tang" (Jiu Tang Shu), where it mentions a prominent general named HUA Mulan. This historical figure is believed to have inspired the legendary Chinese folk tale of Hua Mulan, the young woman who disguised herself as a man to serve in the military.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the HUA surname gained prominence, and several individuals with this last name held high-ranking positions in the imperial court. One notable example is HUA Xian (1090-1160), a renowned scholar and calligrapher who served as a high official during the reign of Emperor Gaozong.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the HUA surname continued to be well-represented among the scholarly and artistic circles. HUA Yingfeng (1553-1616), a celebrated landscape painter and poet, was a prominent figure of this era. His works are highly regarded and can be found in various museums and collections.
Another notable figure with the HUA surname is HUA Hengfang (1833-1902), a prominent reformist and educator during the late Qing Dynasty. He played a crucial role in promoting modern education and advocating for social reforms in China.
In more recent history, HUA Guofeng (1921-2008) was a significant political figure who served as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China and the Premier of the People's Republic of China after the death of Mao Zedong. He played a crucial role in the transition of power and the subsequent reforms in the late 1970s.
While the HUA surname has its roots in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to Chinese migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above primarily focus on the surname's origins and significance within China.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hua
Among Census respondents with the surname Hua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hua 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 Hua surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.6% · 7,779
- White1.8% · 148
- Two or more races1.7% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 52
- Black or African American0.2% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hua
Hua 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
#5,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,939
+1,659 bearers (+31.4%)
Per 100,000 2.35
Rank movement Up 953 places
2020
#4,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,138
+1,199 bearers (+17.3%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Up 831 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,005 | 5,280 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,052 | 6,939 | 2.35 | +1,659 bearers (+31.4%) | Up 953 places |
| 2020 | #4,221 | 8,138 | 2.72 | +1,199 bearers (+17.3%) | Up 831 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 Hua 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 | #5,052 | #4,221 | 16.4% |
| Count | 6,939 | 8,138 | 17.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.35 | 2.72 | 15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hua bearers went from 6,939 to 8,138 (+17.3% change). The surname moved up 831 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,052 to #4,221.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hua
FAQ
Hua surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hua?
Name Census estimates that about 9,332 living Americans carry the surname Hua. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,729 residents.
How common is Hua?
Hua ranks #4,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,138 people with the surname Hua. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,332), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Hua.
Has Hua become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hua went from 6,939 recorded bearers to 8,138. That is an increase of 1,199 (+17.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,052 to #4,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Hua?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hua, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Hua in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (7,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hua appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.6%), White (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Hua (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 Hua mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "flower," "splendid," "prosperous," or "Chinese," depending on the characters used to write it. 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 Hua (2.72 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 Hua?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.