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

Qian, 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 Qian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Qian in America

Qian is the 10167th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Qian surname appeared 3,173 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 Qian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Qian 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 Qian

The surname QIAN originated in China, tracing its roots back to the ancient Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC). It is derived from the Chinese character "钱" (qián), which initially referred to a type of seashell currency used in ancient times. Over time, the character evolved to represent money or coins.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the QIAN surname appears in the classic Chinese text "Book of Documents" (Shujing), dating back to around the 6th century BC. This ancient record mentions individuals with the surname during the reign of the Xia Dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC), suggesting the name's antiquity.

During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the QIAN surname gained prominence when the renowned poet and statesman Qian Qi (circa 722–785 AD) rose to fame. His literary works and contributions to the imperial court brought recognition to the family name.

Another notable figure was Qian Ruoshui (c. 1202–1270 AD), a celebrated Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher during the Song Dynasty. His influential writings on ethics and metaphysics left a lasting impact on Chinese intellectual thought.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Qian Qianyi (1582–1664) was a highly respected literary critic and essayist. His works, such as "Notes on Reading Books" and "Anthology of Prose Writings," are considered classics in Chinese literature.

Moving to more recent times, the QIAN surname has been associated with several influential figures. Qian Xuesen (1911–2009), a pioneering aeronautics and aerodynamics scientist, played a crucial role in both the Chinese and American rocket programs.

It is worth noting that the QIAN surname has also been romanized in various ways, such as Ch'ien, Chien, or Tshan, reflecting regional dialects and transliteration practices. Additionally, the surname has been linked to certain place names, such as Qianzhou (present-day Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province), where the QIAN clan is believed to have originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Qian

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

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

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

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