2000
#2,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,965
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.44
Uncommon Last name
Luu
A Vietnamese surname referring to a person who works with bronze or metals.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,611 Americans carry the last name Luu. That puts it at #1,959 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,630 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Luu 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 Luu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,630
Census rank
#1,959
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,974 bearers of the surname Luu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1959th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Luu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Luu
The surname Luu has its origins in Vietnam, where it first emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Vietnamese word "Lưu," which means "to remain" or "to dwell." It is believed that the surname was initially given to individuals who lived in a particular location for an extended period, emphasizing their strong ties to the land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Luu can be found in the Annals of Dai Viet, a historical text dating back to the 13th century. The text mentions a prominent figure named Luu Nhan Chu, who served as a high-ranking official during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400).
In the 15th century, the Luu surname gained prominence when Luu Nhan Chu's descendants played a crucial role in the resistance against the Ming Dynasty's occupation of Vietnam. Their efforts were documented in various chronicles and manuscripts, solidifying the Luu family's place in Vietnamese history.
During the 17th century, a notable individual named Luu Thi Xuan (1585-1662) gained recognition for her contributions to Vietnamese literature. She authored several influential works, including a collection of poems that celebrated the beauty of her homeland and reflected on the challenges faced by women during that era.
In the 19th century, the Luu surname was further solidified with the birth of Luu Van Lang (1854-1923), a prominent scholar and educator who played a pivotal role in modernizing Vietnam's educational system. His efforts laid the foundation for the country's intellectual and cultural renaissance.
Another notable figure was Luu Quang Vu (1948-1988), a Vietnamese-American writer and human rights activist. Born in Vietnam, he fled the country after the Vietnam War and became a vocal advocate for democracy and freedom of expression. His works, including the autobiographical novel "Forest of Fire," shed light on the experiences of Vietnamese refugees and their struggles for a better life.
Throughout its history, the surname Luu has been closely tied to various regions in Vietnam, particularly the northern and central provinces. It has also been associated with certain place names, such as Luu Xa and Luu Thuong, which are believed to have been settlements where the surname originated or thrived.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Luu
Among Census respondents with the surname Luu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Luu 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 Luu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.6% · 17,188
- Two or more races1.9% · 347
- White1.3% · 242
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 154
- Black or African American0.2% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Luu
Luu 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
#2,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,702
+3,737 bearers (+31.2%)
Per 100,000 5.32
Rank movement Up 444 places
2020
#1,959
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,974
+2,272 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 6.01
Rank movement Up 365 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,768 | 11,965 | 4.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,324 | 15,702 | 5.32 | +3,737 bearers (+31.2%) | Up 444 places |
| 2020 | #1,959 | 17,974 | 6.01 | +2,272 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 365 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 Luu 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 | #2,324 | #1,959 | 15.7% |
| Count | 15,702 | 17,974 | 14.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.32 | 6.01 | 13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Luu bearers went from 15,702 to 17,974 (+14.5% change). The surname moved up 365 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,324 to #1,959.
FAQ
Luu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Luu?
Name Census estimates that about 20,611 living Americans carry the surname Luu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,630 residents.
How common is Luu?
Luu ranks #1,959 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,974 people with the surname Luu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,611), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Luu.
Has Luu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Luu went from 15,702 recorded bearers to 17,974. That is an increase of 2,272 (+14.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,324 to #1,959.
What does the Census say about the background of Luu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Luu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.3%). 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 Luu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (17,188 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Luu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%), White (1.3%). 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 Luu (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 Luu mean?
A Vietnamese surname referring to a person who works with bronze or metals. 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 Luu (6.01 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 Luu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.