2000
#37,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 565
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Jing
A Chinese surname derived from a place name or topographic description.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,076 Americans carry the last name Jing. That puts it at #15,549 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,103 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jing 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
2.1K
1 in 165,103
Census rank
#15,549
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,810 bearers of the surname Jing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15549th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jing
The surname JING has its origins in China, with records dating back to the 7th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Chinese word "jing" (京), which means "capital city" or "metropolis." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived or worked in major urban centers or administrative hubs during ancient times.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname JING can be found in the historical text "Tongdian" (通典), compiled during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). This work mentions individuals with the JING surname holding official positions in various regions of China.
In the 11th century, a prominent figure named JING Qian (景佥) lived during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). He was a renowned scholar and poet, known for his contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the JING surname gained further prominence. JING Hao (景濠, 1537-1628) was an esteemed scholar and philosopher who played a significant role in the development of the Donglin Movement, a influential intellectual and political faction.
In the 17th century, JING Ting (景霆, 1635-1695) was a prominent military leader and strategist who served in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). He is renowned for his victories in suppressing various rebellions and uprisings during his tenure.
Another noteworthy individual with the JING surname was JING Shixuan (景时铉, 1829-1904), a scholar and statesman who served as a high-ranking official in the late Qing Dynasty. He was instrumental in implementing reforms and modernization efforts in the final years of the imperial era.
The JING surname has also been associated with various place names throughout China's history. For instance, the ancient city of Jingzhou (荆州), located in present-day Hubei Province, was once a significant administrative center during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Similarly, the city of Jingdezhen (景德镇) in Jiangxi Province was renowned for its porcelain production and has been an important center for the ceramic industry for centuries.
While the JING surname has a rich historical lineage in China, its prevalence and distribution have evolved over time, reflecting the complex migration patterns and cultural influences that have shaped the country's diverse population.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jing
Among Census respondents with the surname Jing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Jing 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 Jing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.2% · 1,705
- White3.1% · 57
- Black or African American1.5% · 27
- Two or more races0.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jing
Jing 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
#24,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,033
+468 bearers (+82.8%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 12,857 places
2020
#15,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,810
+777 bearers (+75.2%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 8,739 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,145 | 565 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,288 | 1,033 | 0.35 | +468 bearers (+82.8%) | Up 12,857 places |
| 2020 | #15,549 | 1,810 | 0.61 | +777 bearers (+75.2%) | Up 8,739 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 Jing 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 | #24,288 | #15,549 | 36.0% |
| Count | 1,033 | 1,810 | 75.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.61 | 73.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jing bearers went from 1,033 to 1,810 (+75.2% change). The surname moved up 8,739 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,288 to #15,549.
FAQ
Jing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jing?
Name Census estimates that about 2,076 living Americans carry the surname Jing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,103 residents.
How common is Jing?
Jing ranks #15,549 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,810 people with the surname Jing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,076), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Jing.
Has Jing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jing went from 1,033 recorded bearers to 1,810. That is an increase of 777 (+75.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #24,288 to #15,549.
What does the Census say about the background of Jing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jing, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Black (1.5%). 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 Jing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (1,705 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.2%), White (3.1%), Black (1.5%). 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 Jing (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 Jing mean?
A Chinese surname derived from a place name or topographic description. 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 Jing (0.61 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 Jing?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.