2000
#1,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,030
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.05
Uncommon Last name
Ma
A Chinese surname meaning "horse" or referring to someone who took care of horses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,019 Americans carry the last name Ma. That puts it at #892 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,787 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ma 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 Ma with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
44K
1 in 7,787
Census rank
#892
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
38K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,387 bearers of the surname Ma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 892nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ma
The surname "Ma" is believed to have originated in China, with its roots dating back several centuries. This monosyllabic name is thought to have derived from the Chinese word "马" (mǎ), which means "horse" in Mandarin Chinese. It is likely that the surname was initially associated with individuals who worked with horses or had a connection to equestrian activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Ma" can be found in historical records from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). During this period, the name appeared in various imperial records and official documents, indicating its widespread use among certain families and clans.
In ancient China, surnames were often derived from characteristics, occupations, or geographical locations associated with the family's origins. The "Ma" surname may have originated from a place name related to horses or a region known for its equestrian traditions.
Over the centuries, the "Ma" surname has been associated with several notable figures in Chinese history. One of the most prominent individuals bearing this name was Ma Yuan (c. 1165-1225), a renowned Chinese painter and poet during the Southern Song Dynasty. His works, particularly his landscape paintings, are highly regarded and have left a lasting impact on Chinese art.
Another significant historical figure with the surname "Ma" was Ma Lin (1245-1328), a prominent scholar, poet, and calligrapher of the Yuan Dynasty. He was renowned for his literary works and his contributions to the development of Chinese calligraphy.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the "Ma" surname gained further prominence with Ma Zhi (1459-1528), a renowned military strategist and general who played a crucial role in suppressing several rebellions and defending the empire's borders.
In more recent history, Ma Ying-jeou (born 1950) is a notable figure who served as the President of Taiwan from 2008 to 2016. His tenure was marked by efforts to improve cross-strait relations with mainland China.
Throughout its long history, the surname "Ma" has been present in various regions of China, reflecting the mobility and dispersal of families over time. While its origins can be traced back to ancient times, the name continues to be widely used and recognized in modern Chinese society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ma
Among Census respondents with the surname Ma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ma 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 Ma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.3% · 35,819
- White3.2% · 1,237
- Two or more races1.5% · 584
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 474
- Black or African American0.7% · 260
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ma
Ma 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
#1,240
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,452
+9,422 bearers (+49.5%)
Per 100,000 9.65
Rank movement Up 486 places
2020
#892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,387
+9,935 bearers (+34.9%)
Per 100,000 12.84
Rank movement Up 348 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,726 | 19,030 | 7.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,240 | 28,452 | 9.65 | +9,422 bearers (+49.5%) | Up 486 places |
| 2020 | #892 | 38,387 | 12.84 | +9,935 bearers (+34.9%) | Up 348 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 Ma 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 | #1,240 | #892 | 28.1% |
| Count | 28,452 | 38,387 | 34.9% |
| Per 100K | 9.65 | 12.84 | 33.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ma bearers went from 28,452 to 38,387 (+34.9% change). The surname moved up 348 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,240 to #892.
FAQ
Ma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ma?
Name Census estimates that about 44,019 living Americans carry the surname Ma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,787 residents.
How common is Ma?
Ma ranks #892 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,387 people with the surname Ma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,019), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Ma.
Has Ma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ma went from 28,452 recorded bearers to 38,387. That is an increase of 9,935 (+34.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,240 to #892.
What does the Census say about the background of Ma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Ma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (35,819 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.3%), White (3.2%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Ma (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 Ma mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "horse" or referring to someone who took care of horses. 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 Ma (12.84 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 Ma?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.