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

Kwan, 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 Kwan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kwan in America

Kwan is the 3966th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kwan surname appeared 8,965 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Kwan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kwan 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 Kwan

The surname KWAN originated in China, likely emerging during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word 'kwan', meaning 'official' or 'mandarin'. The earliest known references to this name can be found in historical records from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname KWAN was Kwan Chung (d. 645 BC), a renowned philosopher and statesman who served as the prime minister of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period. His writings and teachings greatly influenced the development of Confucian thought.

Another notable figure was Kwan Yu (162-219 AD), a legendary warrior and one of the most famous generals of the Three Kingdoms period. He was deified as the God of War and is revered in Chinese folk religion and Taoism.

During the Tang Dynasty, the KWAN surname was particularly prominent in the region around modern-day Guangdong province. Several members of the imperial clan bore this name, including Kwan Xiu (832-912 AD), a prominent statesman and poet who served as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the records of the Mongol Empire, with Kwan Yun-chi (1232-1301 AD) serving as a high-ranking official and diplomat during the reign of Kublai Khan.

The KWAN surname continued to be associated with scholars and officials throughout the Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1912 AD) dynasties. One notable figure was Kwan Zhongxue (1612-1692 AD), a renowned philosopher and educator who made significant contributions to the Neo-Confucian movement.

As the Chinese diaspora spread across the world, the KWAN surname was carried to various regions, including Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe. While its origins can be traced back to ancient China, the name has become a part of diverse cultural and linguistic traditions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kwan

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

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 Kwan 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 Kwan 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 Kwan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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