2000
#20,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Sheng
A Chinese surname meaning "prosperous" or "flourishing".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,925 Americans carry the last name Sheng. That puts it at #11,749 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,181 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheng 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
2.9K
1 in 117,181
Census rank
#11,749
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,551 bearers of the surname Sheng in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11749th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheng
The surname Sheng has its origins in China, with records of the name dating back to the 6th century AD. It is derived from the Chinese word "sheng," which means "to rise" or "to become successful." The name was likely given to those who achieved a high level of success or status in their respective fields.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sheng can be found in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where a scholar named Sheng Xuanhuai (608-670 AD) gained recognition for his contributions to the development of Chinese calligraphy. His works were widely studied and admired, cementing the Sheng name in the annals of Chinese literary history.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Sheng family was known for their contributions to the imperial court. Sheng Shoucong (1036-1093 AD), a renowned statesman and scholar, served as a high-ranking official and was instrumental in implementing various reforms aimed at improving the governance of the empire.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Sheng family produced several notable figures, including Sheng Zongxi (1568-1647 AD), a prominent philosopher and writer who advocated for the revival of Confucian ideals. His works, such as "The Explanation of the Four Books," had a significant impact on the intellectual discourse of the time.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Sheng was Sheng Xuanhuai (1844-1916 AD), a prominent scholar and educator during the late Qing Dynasty. He was instrumental in establishing modern educational institutions in China and played a crucial role in promoting the study of Western sciences and technology.
Another notable figure was Sheng Shumo (1860-1944 AD), a military leader and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of China during the early 20th century. He was known for his efforts to modernize China's military and played a significant role in the country's transition from an imperial dynasty to a republic.
The surname Sheng can also be found in various place names across China, such as Shengzhou, a city in Zhejiang Province, and Shengxian, a county in Zhejiang Province, reflecting the historical presence and influence of the Sheng family in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheng
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheng 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 Sheng surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.4% · 2,383
- White2.9% · 74
- Two or more races2.2% · 57
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 22
- Black or African American0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheng
Sheng 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
#16,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,772
+570 bearers (+47.4%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 4,239 places
2020
#11,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,551
+779 bearers (+44.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 4,524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,512 | 1,202 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,273 | 1,772 | 0.60 | +570 bearers (+47.4%) | Up 4,239 places |
| 2020 | #11,749 | 2,551 | 0.85 | +779 bearers (+44.0%) | Up 4,524 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 Sheng 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 | #16,273 | #11,749 | 27.8% |
| Count | 1,772 | 2,551 | 44.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.85 | 42.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheng bearers went from 1,772 to 2,551 (+44.0% change). The surname moved up 4,524 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,273 to #11,749.
FAQ
Sheng surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheng?
Name Census estimates that about 2,925 living Americans carry the surname Sheng. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,181 residents.
How common is Sheng?
Sheng ranks #11,749 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,551 people with the surname Sheng. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,925), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Sheng.
Has Sheng become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheng went from 1,772 recorded bearers to 2,551. That is an increase of 779 (+44.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,273 to #11,749.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheng?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Sheng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,383 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheng appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.4%), White (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Sheng (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 Sheng mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "prosperous" or "flourishing". 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 Sheng (0.85 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 Sheng?
Find out how many people are called Sheng on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.