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

Miao, 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 Miao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Miao in America

Miao is the 16953rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Miao surname appeared 1,677 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Miao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Miao 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 Miao

The surname "MIAO" has its origins in China, where it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have originated from the Chinese word "miao" which means "temple" or "shrine". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked in a temple or shrine.

In ancient Chinese records, the earliest known mention of the surname "MIAO" dates back to the 8th century AD. It appears in a manuscript detailing the lineage of a noble family from the city of Changsha, located in the modern-day Hunan province.

The name "MIAO" has also been linked to certain place names in China. For instance, the city of Miaozhou (now known as Youzhou) in the Sichuan province was once referred to as "Miao" during the Tang Dynasty. It is possible that the surname may have derived from this or similar place names.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname "MIAO" was Miao Chuanxuan, a renowned scholar and poet who lived during the Tang Dynasty (619-683 AD). He is remembered for his contributions to the development of Chinese literature and his influence on the literary scene of his time.

Another notable figure was Miao Zhicheng, a military general and strategist who served under the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). He played a crucial role in defending the empire against the Khitan-Liao invasions and is celebrated for his tactical brilliance and leadership on the battlefield.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), Miao Yingdou was a prominent scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism. His works and teachings had a lasting impact on the intellectual and philosophical discourse of his era.

In the realm of arts and culture, Miao Jiahui (1818-1901) was a renowned painter and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty. His works are highly regarded for their elegant brushstrokes and mastery of traditional Chinese painting techniques.

Lastly, Miao Baoju (1905-1989) was a prominent Chinese economist and educator who played a pivotal role in shaping the country's economic policies and theories in the 20th century. He is remembered for his contributions to the development of modern economic thought in China.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Miao

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

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

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

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