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

Shan, 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 Shan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shan in America

Shan is the 14268th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shan surname appeared 2,099 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 Shan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shan 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 Shan

The surname SHAN is believed to have originated in China and has its roots in the Chinese language. It is a relatively common surname in various parts of China, particularly in the southern regions.

The name SHAN is derived from the Chinese word "shan," which means "mountain" or "hill." It is thought that the surname may have been given to people who lived in or near mountainous areas or were associated with activities related to mountains, such as mining or forestry.

Historical records indicate that the surname SHAN can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), when it was first recorded in official documents. During this period, China experienced a significant population growth, leading to the establishment of many new surnames, including SHAN.

In ancient Chinese texts and manuscripts, such as the "Bai Jing" (a collection of genealogical records from the Song Dynasty), there are references to prominent individuals bearing the surname SHAN. One notable example is Shan Tao (735-806 AD), a renowned Buddhist monk and calligrapher who lived during the Tang Dynasty.

Another historical figure with the surname SHAN is Shan Gu (996-1041 AD), a renowned scholar and poet from the Song Dynasty. His works, which include poetry and essays, have been widely studied and celebrated throughout Chinese literary history.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the SHAN surname was particularly prevalent in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. One notable individual from this period was Shan Xing (1608-1680), a military strategist and general who played a crucial role in the defense of coastal regions against invaders.

In more recent history, Shan Shui (1909-1988) was a famous Chinese landscape painter known for his skillful depictions of mountains and rivers. His works are celebrated for their mastery of traditional Chinese painting techniques and their ability to capture the essence of nature.

Throughout its long history, the surname SHAN has been associated with various professions, from scholars and artists to military leaders and government officials. Its connection to the concept of mountains and hills has given it a symbolic significance in Chinese culture, representing strength, resilience, and a deep connection to nature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shan

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

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

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

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