2000
#16,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,642
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Ip
A Chinese surname originating from the state of Lu, derived from the ancestral name Yíng, meaning "illuminate" or "brilliant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,594 Americans carry the last name Ip. That puts it at #12,983 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ip 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 Ip with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 132,134
Census rank
#12,983
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,262 bearers of the surname Ip in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12983rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ip, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ip
The surname "Ip" is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "iep," which means "elm tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near an elm tree or an area where elm trees were abundant.
One of the earliest known references to the name "Ip" can be found in the Dutch baptismal records from the city of Amsterdam in the year 1589, where a child named Jan Ip was baptized. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during this period.
In the 17th century, the name "Ip" appeared in various documents and records across the Netherlands. For instance, a merchant named Pieter Ip was mentioned in the trade records of the city of Delft in 1624. Additionally, a farmer named Gerrit Ip was listed as a landowner in the village of Oudewater in 1658.
As the Dutch explored and settled in different parts of the world, the name "Ip" likely spread to other regions. For example, there are records of individuals with the surname "Ip" living in the Dutch colonies in Indonesia and South Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries.
One notable individual with the surname "Ip" was Johannes Ip (1610-1678), a Dutch artist known for his landscape paintings. His works can be found in several museums across Europe, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Another prominent figure was Willem Ip (1738-1812), a Dutch politician who served as the Mayor of Rotterdam from 1789 to 1795. He played a significant role in the city's governance during the turbulent times of the French Revolution.
In the late 19th century, a man named Hendrik Ip (1845-1923) gained recognition as a successful businessman and industrialist in the Netherlands. He founded the Ip & Co. textile company, which became one of the leading manufacturers of fabrics in the country.
The surname "Ip" also found its way to other parts of Europe, such as Germany and Belgium, where variations like "Ipp" and "Ippen" can be found in historical records from the 18th and 19th centuries.
It is worth noting that the name "Ip" is relatively uncommon compared to other Dutch surnames, and its distribution may have been limited to certain regions or communities within the Netherlands and its former colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ip
Among Census respondents with the surname Ip, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ip 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 Ip surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.9% · 2,102
- Two or more races3.4% · 76
- White2.7% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 19
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ip
Ip 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
#14,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,057
+415 bearers (+25.3%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 1,679 places
2020
#12,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,262
+205 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 1,522 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,184 | 1,642 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,505 | 2,057 | 0.70 | +415 bearers (+25.3%) | Up 1,679 places |
| 2020 | #12,983 | 2,262 | 0.76 | +205 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,522 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 Ip 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 | #14,505 | #12,983 | 10.5% |
| Count | 2,057 | 2,262 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.76 | 8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ip bearers went from 2,057 to 2,262 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 1,522 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,505 to #12,983.
FAQ
Ip surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ip?
Name Census estimates that about 2,594 living Americans carry the surname Ip. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,134 residents.
How common is Ip?
Ip ranks #12,983 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 2,262 people with the surname Ip. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,594), 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 Ip.
Has Ip become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ip went from 2,057 recorded bearers to 2,262. That is an increase of 205 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,505 to #12,983.
What does the Census say about the background of Ip?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ip, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.7%). 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 Ip in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ip appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%), White (2.7%). 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 Ip (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 Ip mean?
A Chinese surname originating from the state of Lu, derived from the ancestral name Yíng, meaning "illuminate" or "brilliant." 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 Ip (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 people have the last name Ip?
If you just want to know how many people are called Ip, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.