2000
#15,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,701
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Ju
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Ju, or referring to a craftsman or carpenter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,267 Americans carry the last name Ju. That puts it at #10,709 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ju 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
3.3K
1 in 104,914
Census rank
#10,709
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,849 bearers of the surname Ju in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10709th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ju, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ju
The surname Ju has its origins in China, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Chinese character "举" which means to raise or lift up. The name was initially found in the eastern coastal regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), the name Ju appeared in several historical records and documents, indicating its widespread use among members of the scholarly class and government officials. One notable figure was Ju Yin, a renowned poet and calligrapher who lived from 841 to 873 CE.
In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), the name Ju continued to gain prominence. The famous philosopher and statesman Ju Xi, born in 1035, was an influential figure during this period. His works on Confucianism and governance had a lasting impact on Chinese society.
The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 CE) saw the rise of Ju Dezi, a celebrated military strategist and general. He is remembered for his pivotal role in defending the Chinese Empire against Mongol invasions during the late 13th century.
As the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) ushered in a new era, the name Ju remained prevalent among the scholarly and literary elite. Ju Lun, born in 1441, was a prominent writer and poet who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 CE), the surname Ju continued to be associated with intellectual and cultural achievements. Ju Cheng, born in 1828, was a renowned scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Chinese language and literature.
Throughout its long history, the surname Ju has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For instance, the city of Juzhou, now known as Zhenjiang, was once a prominent center of the Ju family. Additionally, variations like Chu and Zhu were sometimes used interchangeably with Ju in different regions and dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ju
Among Census respondents with the surname Ju, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ju 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 Ju surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.2% · 2,627
- White3.1% · 87
- Two or more races2.2% · 62
- Black or African American1.3% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ju
Ju 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
#12,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,502
+801 bearers (+47.1%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 3,329 places
2020
#10,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,849
+347 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 1,714 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,752 | 1,701 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,423 | 2,502 | 0.85 | +801 bearers (+47.1%) | Up 3,329 places |
| 2020 | #10,709 | 2,849 | 0.95 | +347 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 1,714 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 Ju 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 | #12,423 | #10,709 | 13.8% |
| Count | 2,502 | 2,849 | 13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.95 | 12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ju bearers went from 2,502 to 2,849 (+13.9% change). The surname moved up 1,714 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,423 to #10,709.
FAQ
Ju surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ju?
Name Census estimates that about 3,267 living Americans carry the surname Ju. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,914 residents.
How common is Ju?
Ju ranks #10,709 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 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 2,849 people with the surname Ju. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 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 Ju.
Has Ju become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ju went from 2,502 recorded bearers to 2,849. That is an increase of 347 (+13.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,423 to #10,709.
What does the Census say about the background of Ju?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ju, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Ju in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (2,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ju appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.2%), White (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Ju (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 Ju mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Ju, or referring to a craftsman or carpenter. 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 Ju (0.95 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 are called Ju?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Ju at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.