2000
#4,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,630
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.46
Rare Last name
Lien
A French surname derived from a nickname for a trustworthy person or a topographic name for a resident near a grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,721 Americans carry the last name Lien. That puts it at #5,051 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,392 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lien 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.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,392
Census rank
#5,051
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,733 bearers of the surname Lien in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5051st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lien, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lien
The surname LIEN originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "lien," meaning "bond" or "tie." This name likely referred to a person who was somehow bound or tied to a particular place or individual, perhaps as a servant or retainer.
The earliest known record of the LIEN surname dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Guillaume Lien, a minor landowner mentioned in a charter from 1267.
In the 14th century, the LIEN name appeared in several tax records and legal documents in the French provinces of Normandy, Brittany, and Picardy. The spellings varied slightly, with forms such as "Lyen," "Lian," and "Lyan" also being used.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the LIEN surname spread to other regions of France, including the Île-de-France and Poitou-Charentes. One notable bearer of this name was Jean Lien, a merchant from Rouen who lived from approximately 1420 to 1489.
In the 17th century, the LIEN name began to appear in various records across Europe, likely due to migration from France. One example is Hans Lien, a German farmer born in 1624 in the village of Niederbronn, Alsace (now part of France).
Other notable individuals with the LIEN surname throughout history include:
1. Pierre Lien (1580-1644), a French Jesuit missionary who worked in Canada and played a role in the early colonization of New France.
2. Francois Lien (1685-1748), a French painter and engraver known for his portraits and religious works.
3. Josephine Lien (1792-1868), a French writer and feminist who advocated for women's education and rights.
4. Charles Lien (1819-1892), a Belgian engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of early steam engines.
5. Emile Lien (1876-1932), a French composer and pianist known for his works in the Impressionist style.
While the LIEN surname is not among the most common in France today, it has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life across Europe over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lien
Among Census respondents with the surname Lien, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lien 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 Lien surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.8% · 4,164
- Asian and Pacific Islander33.0% · 2,221
- Two or more races2.6% · 173
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 122
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 29
- Black or African American0.4% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lien
Lien 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
#5,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,827
+197 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 267 places
2020
#5,051
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,733
-94 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Up 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,860 | 6,630 | 2.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,127 | 6,827 | 2.31 | +197 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 267 places |
| 2020 | #5,051 | 6,733 | 2.25 | -94 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 76 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 Lien 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 | #5,127 | #5,051 | 1.5% |
| Count | 6,827 | 6,733 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.31 | 2.25 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lien bearers went from 6,827 to 6,733 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,127 to #5,051.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lien
FAQ
Lien surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lien?
Name Census estimates that about 7,721 living Americans carry the surname Lien. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,392 residents.
How common is Lien?
Lien ranks #5,051 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,733 people with the surname Lien. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,721), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lien.
Has Lien become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lien went from 6,827 recorded bearers to 6,733. That is a decrease of 94 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,127 to #5,051.
What does the Census say about the background of Lien?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lien, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lien in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.8% (4,164 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lien appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (33.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Lien (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 Lien mean?
A French surname derived from a nickname for a trustworthy person or a topographic name for a resident near a grove. 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 Lien (2.25 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 Lien?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.