2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Quian
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly from a Chinese dialect or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Quian. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quian 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Quian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%) and White (17.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quian
The surname QUIAN is believed to have originated in China, specifically in the Guangdong province. It is derived from the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese character "钱" (Qián), which means "money" or "coin".
The earliest recorded instances of the QUIAN surname can be traced back to the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and early Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) in southern China. During this period, the name appeared in various local records and family genealogies.
One of the earliest known references to the QUIAN surname is found in the "Qing Bai Lei Chao" (清百雷抄), a collection of local gazetteers compiled during the reign of the Qing Dynasty emperor Kangxi (1654-1722). This work mentions several prominent QUIAN families residing in the Pearl River Delta region.
In the 18th century, the QUIAN surname gained further recognition with the rise of Qian Qianyi (1582-1664), a renowned scholar, poet, and calligrapher from Xiamen, Fujian province. His literary works and achievements brought prestige to the QUIAN surname.
Another notable figure with the QUIAN surname was Qian Mu (1895-1990), a prominent historian, philosopher, and educator from Zhejiang province. He played a significant role in preserving and promoting traditional Chinese culture and values during the turbulent 20th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the QUIAN surname outside of China can be found in the records of Chinese immigrants to the United States in the late 19th century. Many QUIAN families settled in California, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, during the Gold Rush era and subsequent waves of immigration.
Over time, the QUIAN surname has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, in some regions of southern China, the name was written as "钳安" or "钱安", reflecting local dialects and variations.
Other notable individuals with the QUIAN surname include Qian Zhongshu (1910-1998), a renowned Chinese writer and scholar known for his novel "Fortress Besieged"; Qian Xuesen (1911-2009), a pioneering aerospace engineer often referred to as the "Father of Chinese Rocketry"; and Qian Qichen (1928-2023), a former Chinese diplomat and statesman who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1988 to 1998.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quian
Among Census respondents with the surname Quian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%) and White (17.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Quian 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 Quian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino63.2% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.9% · 19
- White17.0% · 18
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quian
Quian 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-16 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,203 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-13 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 21,203 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 12,182 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 Quian 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 | #140,157 | #152,339 | -8.7% |
| Count | 119 | 106 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quian bearers went from 119 to 106 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 12,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #152,339.
FAQ
Quian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quian?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Quian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Quian?
Quian ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Quian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Quian.
Has Quian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quian went from 119 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Quian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%) and White (17.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.2% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (63.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.9%), White (17.0%). 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 Quian (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 Quian mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly from a Chinese dialect or region. 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 Quian (0.04 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 Quian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.