2000
#23,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 990
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Jia
A Chinese surname meaning "first" or "family," or referring to an ancient Chinese state of the same name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,237 Americans carry the last name Jia. That puts it at #7,071 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,449 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jia 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 Jia with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 65,449
Census rank
#7,071
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,567 bearers of the surname Jia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7071st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jia
The surname Jia originated in China, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Chinese word 'jia' which means 'good' or 'excellent'. The name was initially used as a complimentary term for people who displayed admirable qualities or achieved remarkable feats.
In the early dynastic periods of China, the Jia surname was associated with noble families and scholars. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), the name appeared in historical records, referring to prominent figures in the imperial court and literary circles.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Jia surname was Jia Yi (200 BC - 168 BC), a renowned philosopher, poet, and statesman who served as a counselor to the Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. His works, such as the "Xinshu" (New Writings), became influential texts in Confucian thought.
Another notable figure was Jia Sixie (551 - 632 AD), a revered calligrapher and scholar during the Tang Dynasty. His calligraphic style, known as the "Jia script," was widely admired and studied by generations of calligraphers. Jia Sixie's works were preserved in the imperial archives and later included in anthologies of Chinese calligraphy.
During the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD), the Jia surname gained prominence in the literary and artistic circles. Jia Dao (779 - 843 AD) was a renowned poet and scholar who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court. His poetry collection, "Jia Dao Ji," is considered a masterpiece of the late Tang period.
In more recent history, Jia Baoyu (1882 - 1963) was a prominent Chinese educator and reformer who played a significant role in modernizing China's education system. He founded several schools and universities, including the prestigious Peking University.
Jia Zhangke (born 1970) is a contemporary Chinese film director and screenwriter, widely acclaimed for his thought-provoking works that explore social and cultural issues in modern China. His films, such as "Still Life" and "A Touch of Sin," have won numerous international awards and critical acclaim.
The Jia surname has a rich history and cultural significance in China, reflecting the country's long-standing traditions of scholarship, art, and literature. It has been borne by many influential individuals who have left an indelible mark on various aspects of Chinese society and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jia
Among Census respondents with the surname Jia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Jia 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 Jia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.8% · 4,376
- White2.7% · 125
- Two or more races0.8% · 35
- Black or African American0.5% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jia
Jia 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
#12,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,409
+1,419 bearers (+143.3%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 11,029 places
2020
#7,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,567
+2,158 bearers (+89.6%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Up 5,731 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,831 | 990 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,802 | 2,409 | 0.82 | +1,419 bearers (+143.3%) | Up 11,029 places |
| 2020 | #7,071 | 4,567 | 1.53 | +2,158 bearers (+89.6%) | Up 5,731 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 Jia 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 | #12,802 | #7,071 | 44.8% |
| Count | 2,409 | 4,567 | 89.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 1.53 | 86.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jia bearers went from 2,409 to 4,567 (+89.6% change). The surname moved up 5,731 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,802 to #7,071.
FAQ
Jia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jia?
Name Census estimates that about 5,237 living Americans carry the surname Jia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,449 residents.
How common is Jia?
Jia ranks #7,071 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,567 people with the surname Jia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,237), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Jia.
Has Jia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jia went from 2,409 recorded bearers to 4,567. That is an increase of 2,158 (+89.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,802 to #7,071.
What does the Census say about the background of Jia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Jia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.8% (4,376 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.8%), White (2.7%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Jia (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 Jia mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "first" or "family," or referring to an ancient Chinese state of the same name. 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 Jia (1.53 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 Jia?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.