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

Liang, 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 Liang surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Liang in America

Liang is the 1480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Liang surname appeared 24,140 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Liang.

We can also compare 2010 data for Liang 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 Liang

The surname LIANG originated in China and dates back over 1,000 years. It is derived from the Chinese character "梁" which means beam or ridge, and is commonly associated with surnames from the Guangdong and Fujian provinces in southeastern China.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the LIANG surname can be found in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where it was used by several prominent families and officials. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the LIANG surname gained further prominence, with several LIANG families holding positions of power and influence.

In the 11th century, a LIANG family from Guangdong was recorded in the historical text "Zhongzhou Zhi" (Records of Zhongzhou). This text mentions a LIANG village located in what is now Guangdong province, suggesting that the surname had already been well-established in the region by that time.

One notable historical figure with the LIANG surname was LIANG Qichao (1873-1929), a prominent scholar, philosopher, and reformist during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China era. He played a significant role in the intellectual and political movements of his time.

Another famous LIANG was LIANG Sicheng (1901-1972), a renowned architect and historian who was instrumental in preserving and restoring many of China's ancient architectural treasures, including the Forbidden City in Beijing.

In the field of art, LIANG Kai (1140-1210) was a celebrated painter and calligrapher during the Southern Song Dynasty, known for his innovative techniques and contributions to the development of Chinese landscape painting.

LIANG Shi (1778-1847) was a prominent scholar and official during the Qing Dynasty, serving as a governor in several provinces and contributing to the compilation of the "Siku Quanshu," one of the largest literary collections in Chinese history.

LIANG Shuming (1893-1988) was a renowned philosopher and educator who played a significant role in the revival of traditional Chinese culture and values in the 20th century, influencing generations of intellectuals and students.

While the LIANG surname is most commonly associated with southeastern China, it has also spread to other regions and countries over time, with LIANG families found in various parts of the world today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Liang

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

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

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

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