2000
#16,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,626
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Qian
A Chinese surname meaning "money," "coin," or "cash," referring to an ancestor who worked with currency or in a treasury.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,953 Americans carry the last name Qian. That puts it at #6,302 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,577 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Qian 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 Qian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,577
Census rank
#6,302
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,191 bearers of the surname Qian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6302nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Qian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Qian
Among Census respondents with the surname Qian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Qian 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 Qian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.0% · 4,984
- White2.7% · 139
- Black or African American0.5% · 27
- Two or more races0.5% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Qian
Qian 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
#10,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,173
+1,547 bearers (+95.1%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 6,147 places
2020
#6,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,191
+2,018 bearers (+63.6%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Up 3,865 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,314 | 1,626 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,167 | 3,173 | 1.08 | +1,547 bearers (+95.1%) | Up 6,147 places |
| 2020 | #6,302 | 5,191 | 1.74 | +2,018 bearers (+63.6%) | Up 3,865 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 Qian 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 | #10,167 | #6,302 | 38.0% |
| Count | 3,173 | 5,191 | 63.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.74 | 60.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Qian bearers went from 3,173 to 5,191 (+63.6% change). The surname moved up 3,865 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,167 to #6,302.
FAQ
Qian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Qian?
Name Census estimates that about 5,953 living Americans carry the surname Qian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,577 residents.
How common is Qian?
Qian ranks #6,302 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,191 people with the surname Qian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,953), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Qian.
Has Qian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Qian went from 3,173 recorded bearers to 5,191. That is an increase of 2,018 (+63.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,167 to #6,302.
What does the Census say about the background of Qian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Qian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Qian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (4,984 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Qian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.0%), White (2.7%), Black (0.5%). 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 Qian (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 Qian mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "money," "coin," or "cash," referring to an ancestor who worked with currency or in a treasury. 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 Qian (1.74 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 last name Qian?
You can see how common the surname Qian is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.