Find out how popular the last name Iu is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Iu.

Iu, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Iu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iu in America

Iu is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iu surname appeared 167 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Iu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iu to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Iu

The surname IU originated in China, with records dating back to the 13th century during the Yuan Dynasty. It is believed to be derived from an ancient Chinese word meaning "jade" or "precious stone." The name was initially concentrated in the central and southern regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Hunan and Guangdong.

One of the earliest known references to the IU surname can be found in the historical text "Records of the Grand Historian" by Sima Qian, a renowned scholar of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). This work mentions several individuals with the IU surname who held important positions in the imperial court during that era.

In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the IU surname gained prominence with the rise of the IU family in the city of Changsha, Hunan Province. This family produced several notable scholars and officials, including IU Zongyuan (778-841 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher who served as a high-ranking government official.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the IU surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Guangdong and Fujian. One notable figure from this period was IU Shunzhi (1572-1624), a famous scholar and author who wrote extensively on Confucian philosophy and ethics.

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the IU surname continued to be widely represented among the scholar-gentry class. IU Qingxuan (1765-1849) was a prominent scholar and educator who established several prestigious academies and contributed to the development of modern education in China.

Another notable IU was IU Youren (1878-1935), a renowned writer, philosopher, and educator who played a significant role in the May Fourth Movement, a pivotal intellectual and cultural renaissance in early 20th century China.

While the IU surname has its roots in China, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, it remains most prevalent in regions with significant Chinese populations, particularly in East and Southeast Asia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iu

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Iu.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Iu was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Iu has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Iu was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Iu, please contact us.

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