2000
#104,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Ie
A surname derived from a Chinese word meaning "ceremonial" or "chant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Ie. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ie 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Ie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ie, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.5%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ie
The surname IE originated in the British Isles, specifically in England and Scotland, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ieg," which means "island" or "isle." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who lived on an island or near a coastal area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname IE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ie." This was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror to record the landholdings and properties in England after the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the surname was often spelled as "Ye," which was a common variation at the time. During this period, the name was associated with several individuals who held positions of importance in various parts of England and Scotland.
One notable figure with the surname IE was Sir John Ie, a knight who served under King Edward I in the late 13th century. He participated in several military campaigns and was granted lands in Lincolnshire for his service.
Another prominent individual with the surname was William Ie, who lived in the early 14th century and was a merchant and landowner in the city of York. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties within the city walls.
In the 15th century, the surname IE was sometimes spelled as "Eye," which was likely influenced by the Old English word "ēa," meaning "river" or "stream." This variation suggests that some individuals with the surname may have lived near a river or waterway.
During the Tudor period, a notable figure with the surname IE was Thomas Ie, who was born in 1510 in Gloucestershire. He was a scholar and writer who authored several works on philosophy and theology.
In the 17th century, the surname IE was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as "Ye" or "Yie." One example is Robert Yie, a Scottish landowner and military officer who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms during the 1640s.
Throughout the centuries, the surname IE has been associated with various place names, such as Ie Fen in Cambridgeshire, Ie Marsh in Lincolnshire, and Ie Green in Essex. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Other notable individuals with the surname IE include: John Ie (1720-1795), an English clergyman and author; Elizabeth Ie (1780-1855), a Scottish poet and writer; and George Ie (1845-1912), a British explorer and naturalist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ie
Among Census respondents with the surname Ie, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.5%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ie 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 Ie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander67.5% · 81
- White18.3% · 22
- Two or more races7.5% · 9
- Black or African American5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ie
Ie 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
#113,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
-4 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 8,898 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-35 bearers (-22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,894 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #104,257 | 159 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #113,155 | 155 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 8,898 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -35 bearers (-22.6%) | Down 28,894 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 Ie 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 | #113,155 | #142,049 | -25.5% |
| Count | 155 | 120 | -22.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ie bearers went from 155 to 120 (-22.6% change). The surname moved down 28,894 positions in the national ranking, going from #113,155 to #142,049.
FAQ
Ie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ie?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Ie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Ie?
Ie ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Ie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ie.
Has Ie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ie went from 155 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 35 (-22.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #113,155 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Ie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ie, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.5%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Ie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.5% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (67.5%), White (18.3%), Two or More Races (7.5%). 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 Ie (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 Ie mean?
A surname derived from a Chinese word meaning "ceremonial" or "chant". 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 Ie (0.04 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 surname Ie?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.