2000
#6,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.86
Rare Last name
Min
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "jade," "king," or "folk."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,888 Americans carry the last name Min. That puts it at #4,438 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,564 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Min 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 Min with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,564
Census rank
#4,438
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,751 bearers of the surname Min in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4438th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Min, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Min
The surname "Min" is believed to have originated in China, where it has been traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). The name is thought to derive from the Old Chinese word "min," meaning "people" or "subjects," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have been commoners or citizens.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "Min" can be found in the "Zizhi Tongjian," a renowned historical work compiled during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE). This text documents the existence of individuals with the surname "Min" during the Tang Dynasty.
In ancient Chinese records, the surname "Min" is sometimes spelled using alternative characters, such as "民" or "旻," which share similar pronunciations and meanings.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), the "Min" surname gained prominence in the southern coastal regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong. This may be attributed to the migration of people from northern China to the southern regions during this period.
Notable historical figures with the surname "Min" include:
1. Min Ziqian (1828-1900), a famous Chinese scholar and official during the Qing Dynasty.
2. Min Zidong (1444-1532), a renowned painter and calligrapher who lived during the Ming Dynasty.
3. Min Guizhi (1638-1718), a prominent Chinese playwright and novelist of the late Ming and early Qing periods.
4. Min Yuren (1635-1708), a renowned Chinese landscape painter and poet of the early Qing Dynasty.
5. Min Erchang (1504-1585), a renowned Chinese military general and strategist during the Ming Dynasty.
While the surname "Min" originated in China, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to ancient China, where it held a significant presence and historical relevance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Min
Among Census respondents with the surname Min, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Min 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 Min surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.0% · 7,133
- White3.3% · 254
- Two or more races3.2% · 246
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 67
- Black or African American0.7% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Min
Min 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
#5,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,982
+1,954 bearers (+38.9%)
Per 100,000 2.37
Rank movement Up 1,228 places
2020
#4,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,751
+769 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 2.59
Rank movement Up 588 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,254 | 5,028 | 1.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,026 | 6,982 | 2.37 | +1,954 bearers (+38.9%) | Up 1,228 places |
| 2020 | #4,438 | 7,751 | 2.59 | +769 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 588 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 Min 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 | #5,026 | #4,438 | 11.7% |
| Count | 6,982 | 7,751 | 11.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.37 | 2.59 | 9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Min bearers went from 6,982 to 7,751 (+11.0% change). The surname moved up 588 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,026 to #4,438.
FAQ
Min surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Min?
Name Census estimates that about 8,888 living Americans carry the surname Min. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,564 residents.
How common is Min?
Min ranks #4,438 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,751 people with the surname Min. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,888), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Min.
Has Min become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Min went from 6,982 recorded bearers to 7,751. That is an increase of 769 (+11.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,026 to #4,438.
What does the Census say about the background of Min?
Among Census respondents with the surname Min, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Min in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (7,133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Min appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.0%), White (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Min (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 Min mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character meaning "jade," "king," or "folk." 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 Min (2.59 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 people have the surname Min?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.