2000
#624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 49,360
First available Census row
Per 100,000 18.30
Common Last name
Lin
A Chinese surname meaning "forest" or "fine jade," or referring to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133,910 Americans carry the last name Lin. That puts it at #259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 39.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lin 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 Lin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134K
1 in 2,560
Census rank
#259
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
39.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116,776 bearers of the surname Lin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 39.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lin
The surname Lin is of Chinese origin, with its roots traced back to the 3rd century BC during the Warring States period. It is derived from the Chinese word "lin," which means "forest" or "woods." The name is thought to have originated in the regions of Fujian and Guangdong provinces in southeastern China.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the Lin surname can be found in the historical text "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian, which mentions a prominent figure named Lin Xiangru, who lived during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD). Another notable historical figure bearing the Lin surname was Lin Zexu (1785-1850), a scholar-official best known for his relentless efforts in suppressing the opium trade in China during the Qing Dynasty.
The Lin surname has also been associated with several place names in China, such as Linyi in Shandong Province and Linxia in Gansu Province. These place names likely derived from the same etymological root as the surname, reflecting the presence of forests or wooded areas in those regions.
Throughout history, various individuals with the Lin surname have made significant contributions across various fields. One notable example is Lin Huiyin (1904-1955), a renowned architect and writer who was a pioneer in the field of architectural preservation in China. Another prominent figure was Lin Yutang (1895-1976), a Chinese writer, linguist, and inventor who played a crucial role in bridging the cultural gap between China and the West through his works.
Lin Biao (1907-1971) was a prominent Chinese communist military leader who played a significant role in the Chinese Civil War and later served as the Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China under Mao Zedong. Lin Xiaoxiao (1962-), on the other hand, is a contemporary Chinese film director and screenwriter known for her critically acclaimed works that explore the complexities of modern Chinese society.
Lastly, Lin Dan (1983-) is a renowned Chinese professional badminton player who has won numerous Olympic and World Championship titles, cementing his status as one of the greatest players in the sport's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lin
Among Census respondents with the surname Lin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lin 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 Lin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.7% · 111,779
- White2.0% · 2,342
- Two or more races1.4% · 1,657
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 595
- Black or African American0.3% · 372
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lin
Lin 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
#402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 79,508
+30,148 bearers (+61.1%)
Per 100,000 26.95
Rank movement Up 222 places
2020
#259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116,776
+37,268 bearers (+46.9%)
Per 100,000 39.07
Rank movement Up 143 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #624 | 49,360 | 18.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #402 | 79,508 | 26.95 | +30,148 bearers (+61.1%) | Up 222 places |
| 2020 | #259 | 116,776 | 39.07 | +37,268 bearers (+46.9%) | Up 143 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 Lin 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 | #402 | #259 | 35.6% |
| Count | 79,508 | 116,776 | 46.9% |
| Per 100K | 26.95 | 39.07 | 45.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lin bearers went from 79,508 to 116,776 (+46.9% change). The surname moved up 143 positions in the national ranking, going from #402 to #259.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lin
FAQ
Lin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lin?
Name Census estimates that about 133,910 living Americans carry the surname Lin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,560 residents.
How common is Lin?
Lin ranks #259 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 39.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 39 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116,776 people with the surname Lin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133,910), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 39.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 39.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 39 of them to have the surname Lin.
Has Lin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lin went from 79,508 recorded bearers to 116,776. That is an increase of 37,268 (+46.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #402 to #259.
What does the Census say about the background of Lin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lin, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Lin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.7%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Lin (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 Lin mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "forest" or "fine jade," or referring to a place name. 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 Lin (39.07 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 Lin?
Want to know how many people are called Lin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.