2000
#13,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,978
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Shan
A Chinese surname meaning "mountain" or "hill," or referring to someone who lived near or on a mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,198 Americans carry the last name Shan. That puts it at #10,909 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shan 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 Shan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,178
Census rank
#10,909
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,789 bearers of the surname Shan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10909th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.0%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shan
Among Census respondents with the surname Shan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.0%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Shan 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 Shan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.0% · 2,119
- White15.2% · 425
- Black or African American4.6% · 127
- Two or more races2.0% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shan
Shan 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
#14,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,099
+121 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 274 places
2020
#10,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,789
+690 bearers (+32.9%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 3,359 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,994 | 1,978 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,268 | 2,099 | 0.71 | +121 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 274 places |
| 2020 | #10,909 | 2,789 | 0.93 | +690 bearers (+32.9%) | Up 3,359 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 Shan 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 | #14,268 | #10,909 | 23.5% |
| Count | 2,099 | 2,789 | 32.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.93 | 31.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shan bearers went from 2,099 to 2,789 (+32.9% change). The surname moved up 3,359 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,268 to #10,909.
FAQ
Shan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,198 living Americans carry the surname Shan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,178 residents.
How common is Shan?
Shan ranks #10,909 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,789 people with the surname Shan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,198), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Shan.
Has Shan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shan went from 2,099 recorded bearers to 2,789. That is an increase of 690 (+32.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,268 to #10,909.
What does the Census say about the background of Shan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.0%. The next largest groups are White (15.2%) and Black (4.6%). 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 Shan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (2,119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (76.0%), White (15.2%), Black (4.6%). 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 Shan (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 Shan mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "mountain" or "hill," or referring to someone who lived near or on a mountain. 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 Shan (0.93 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 Americans have the surname Shan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.