2000
#4,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,906
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Rare Last name
Kwan
A Chinese surname meaning "wide, broad, or expansive," often referring to a wide river or expanse of water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,602 Americans carry the last name Kwan. That puts it at #4,115 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,696 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kwan 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 Kwan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.6K
1 in 35,696
Census rank
#4,115
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,373 bearers of the surname Kwan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4115th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and White (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kwan
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and White (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kwan 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 Kwan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.4% · 7,733
- Two or more races3.6% · 300
- White2.2% · 184
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 141
- Black or African American0.2% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kwan
Kwan 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
#3,966
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,965
+1,059 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 3.04
Rank movement Up 181 places
2020
#4,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,373
-592 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 2.80
Rank movement Down 149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,147 | 7,906 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,966 | 8,965 | 3.04 | +1,059 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 181 places |
| 2020 | #4,115 | 8,373 | 2.80 | -592 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 149 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 Kwan 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 | #3,966 | #4,115 | -3.8% |
| Count | 8,965 | 8,373 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.04 | 2.80 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kwan bearers went from 8,965 to 8,373 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 149 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,966 to #4,115.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kwan
FAQ
Kwan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kwan?
Name Census estimates that about 9,602 living Americans carry the surname Kwan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,696 residents.
How common is Kwan?
Kwan ranks #4,115 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,373 people with the surname Kwan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,602), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Kwan.
Has Kwan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kwan went from 8,965 recorded bearers to 8,373. That is a decrease of 592 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,966 to #4,115.
What does the Census say about the background of Kwan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and White (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 Kwan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (7,733 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kwan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.6%), White (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 Kwan (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 Kwan mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "wide, broad, or expansive," often referring to a wide river or expanse of water. 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 Kwan (2.80 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 last name Kwan?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Kwan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.