2000
#20,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,209
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Lian
A Chinese surname meaning "lotus" or "graceful willow," often referring to someone with a pure and noble character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,366 Americans carry the last name Lian. That puts it at #4,201 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,596 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lian 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 Lian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.4K
1 in 36,596
Census rank
#4,201
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,168 bearers of the surname Lian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4201st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lian
The surname LIAN has its origins in China, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have originated from the Chinese word "蓮" (lián), which means "lotus flower". The lotus flower holds significant symbolism in Chinese culture, representing purity, elegance, and spiritual enlightenment.
In ancient Chinese records, the name LIAN can be found in various historical documents and local gazetteers. One of the earliest recorded mentions is in the "Xin Tang Shu" (New Book of Tang), a famous historical text from the 11th century, which documents the achievements and lineages of prominent families during the Tang Dynasty.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the LIAN family gained prominence in the region of Zhejiang Province, particularly in the cities of Hangzhou and Shaoxing. One notable figure from this period was Lian Xizhen (1020-1091), a renowned Neo-Confucian philosopher and author who made significant contributions to the development of Chinese thought.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the LIAN surname spread across various regions of China. One prominent individual was Lian Qian (1572-1623), a renowned playwright and writer who authored several influential works, including the play "The Peony Pavilion".
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the LIAN family continued to play a role in Chinese society. One notable figure was Lian Mengzheng (1799-1868), a scholar and official who served as a high-ranking minister in the imperial court.
Another prominent individual with the LIAN surname was Lian Zhan (1601-1673), a Ming-Qing transition era painter known for his exquisite landscape paintings and calligraphic works.
Throughout history, the LIAN surname has also been associated with various place names and locations across China. For example, the town of Lianzhou in Guangdong Province is believed to have derived its name from the LIAN surname.
While the surname LIAN has its roots in Chinese culture, it has also been adopted and integrated into other regions and cultures around the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, the core meaning and historical significance of the name remains deeply rooted in its Chinese origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lian
Among Census respondents with the surname Lian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lian 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 Lian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.6% · 7,483
- White5.9% · 480
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 128
- Two or more races0.6% · 49
- Black or African American0.3% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lian
Lian 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
#10,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,995
+1,786 bearers (+147.7%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 9,749 places
2020
#4,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,168
+5,173 bearers (+172.7%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Up 6,477 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,427 | 1,209 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,678 | 2,995 | 1.02 | +1,786 bearers (+147.7%) | Up 9,749 places |
| 2020 | #4,201 | 8,168 | 2.73 | +5,173 bearers (+172.7%) | Up 6,477 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 Lian 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 | #10,678 | #4,201 | 60.7% |
| Count | 2,995 | 8,168 | 172.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 2.73 | 167.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lian bearers went from 2,995 to 8,168 (+172.7% change). The surname moved up 6,477 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,678 to #4,201.
FAQ
Lian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lian?
Name Census estimates that about 9,366 living Americans carry the surname Lian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,596 residents.
How common is Lian?
Lian ranks #4,201 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.73 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 8,168 people with the surname Lian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,366), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.73 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 Lian.
Has Lian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lian went from 2,995 recorded bearers to 8,168. That is an increase of 5,173 (+172.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,678 to #4,201.
What does the Census say about the background of Lian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Lian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (7,483 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.6%), White (5.9%), Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Lian (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 Lian mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "lotus" or "graceful willow," often referring to someone with a pure and noble character. 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 Lian (2.73 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 Americans have the surname Lian?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.