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

Liao, 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 Liao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Liao in America

Liao is the 4177th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Liao surname appeared 8,482 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 Liao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Liao 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 Liao

The surname Liao originated in China and dates back to at least the 10th century. It is derived from the name of the Liao dynasty, which ruled over parts of northern China and regions of modern-day Mongolia, Russia and Korea from 907 to 1125 AD. The Liao dynasty was founded by the Khitan people, an ethnic minority group in northern China.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Liao can be found in the historical records of the Tang Dynasty, which preceded the Liao Dynasty. These records refer to individuals with the surname Liao who held positions of power and influence within the government and military during that time period.

In the early 11th century, the Liao Dynasty established its capital city of Shangjing, located in what is now Inner Mongolia. This city became a center of power and culture for the Liao people, and it is likely that many individuals bearing the surname Liao lived and worked there during this period.

One notable individual with the surname Liao was Liao Zhongkai, a prominent military leader and statesman who lived during the late 16th century. He played a crucial role in the suppression of the peasant uprisings that threatened the Ming Dynasty's rule in northern China.

Another famous bearer of the Liao surname was Liao Bing, a Chinese painter and calligrapher who lived during the early 20th century. He was renowned for his mastery of traditional Chinese brush painting techniques and his unique artistic style.

In the realm of literature, the poet and writer Liao Yiwu, born in 1958, is a significant figure. He is known for his works that expose the harsh realities of life in China during the Cultural Revolution and for his advocacy of human rights and freedom of expression.

The surname Liao has also been associated with several prominent scientists and academics throughout history. One example is Liao Bangzhi, a 20th-century mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics and was recognized for his work on the unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics.

It is worth noting that the surname Liao has also been adopted by various ethnic groups outside of China, particularly in regions that were once part of or influenced by the Liao Dynasty, such as parts of modern-day Russia and Korea.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Liao

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

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

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

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