2000
#12,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,262
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Lan
A Chinese surname derived from the state of Lan during the Zhou dynasty, which ruled from 1046–256 BCE.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,658 Americans carry the last name Lan. That puts it at #7,828 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,584 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lan 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 Lan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,584
Census rank
#7,828
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,062 bearers of the surname Lan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7828th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.7%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lan
The surname LAN is believed to have originated in China, where it can be traced back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Chinese word "lan," which means "orchid" or "blue." The name was likely given to someone who lived near an area abundant in orchids or had a connection to the color blue.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the LAN surname can be found in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) records, where a scholar named Lan Yuanqi (646-709 AD) was mentioned. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), a famous poet and calligrapher named Lan Ying (1273-1323 AD) gained recognition for his works.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the records of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), where a general named Lan Yu (1335-1396 AD) was noted for his military achievements. Another notable figure from this period was Lan Pu (1523-1595 AD), a respected scholar and philosopher.
As the LAN surname spread across China, it also became associated with various place names. For example, the city of Lanzhou in Gansu Province is believed to have been derived from the name, as well as the Lan River in Sichuan Province.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the LAN surname gained further prominence. A renowned artist named Lan Ying (1679-1733 AD) was celebrated for his landscape paintings, while a scholar and official named Lan Tingyuan (1557-1646 AD) was recognized for his contributions to the imperial court.
Throughout its history, the LAN surname has been associated with various scholars, artists, and officials who have made significant contributions to Chinese culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lan
Among Census respondents with the surname Lan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.7%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lan 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 Lan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.7% · 3,480
- White8.0% · 325
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 110
- Black or African American1.9% · 78
- Two or more races1.6% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lan
Lan 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
#9,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,262
+1,000 bearers (+44.2%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 2,653 places
2020
#7,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,062
+800 bearers (+24.5%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 2,082 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,563 | 2,262 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,910 | 3,262 | 1.11 | +1,000 bearers (+44.2%) | Up 2,653 places |
| 2020 | #7,828 | 4,062 | 1.36 | +800 bearers (+24.5%) | Up 2,082 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 Lan 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 | #9,910 | #7,828 | 21.0% |
| Count | 3,262 | 4,062 | 24.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.36 | 22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lan bearers went from 3,262 to 4,062 (+24.5% change). The surname moved up 2,082 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,910 to #7,828.
FAQ
Lan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lan?
Name Census estimates that about 4,658 living Americans carry the surname Lan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,584 residents.
How common is Lan?
Lan ranks #7,828 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,062 people with the surname Lan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,658), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Lan.
Has Lan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lan went from 3,262 recorded bearers to 4,062. That is an increase of 800 (+24.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,910 to #7,828.
What does the Census say about the background of Lan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.7%. The next largest groups are White (8.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Lan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (3,480 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.7%), White (8.0%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Lan (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 Lan mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the state of Lan during the Zhou dynasty, which ruled from 1046–256 BCE. 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 Lan (1.36 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 common is the surname Lan?
See how many people have the surname Lan on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.