2000
#14,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,892
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Shu
A Chinese occupational surname referring to an imperial official overseeing books, drawings, or calligraphy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,643 Americans carry the last name Shu. That puts it at #9,744 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,086 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shu 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
3.6K
1 in 94,086
Census rank
#9,744
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,177 bearers of the surname Shu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9744th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shu
The surname SHU is believed to have originated in China, with records dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "shu," which means "book" or "scholar." The name was likely given to individuals who were associated with literary or scholarly pursuits.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the SHU surname gained prominence, particularly in the regions of Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Several notable scholars and officials bore this surname, including Shu Xinguan (1166-1233), a renowned Confucian scholar and philosopher.
The earliest recorded mention of the SHU surname can be found in the "Zizhi Tongjian," a historical work compiled during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD). This text includes references to individuals with the SHU surname holding various government positions and participating in important historical events.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the SHU surname continued to be associated with scholarly and literary achievements. Shu Yingqiu (1536-1596), a renowned calligrapher and painter, was one of the most famous individuals with this surname during this period.
Another notable figure was Shu Guang (1521-1599), a high-ranking official and scholar who served as the Minister of Rites during the Ming Dynasty. His contributions to the development of the Imperial examination system and the promotion of Confucian values were significant.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the SHU surname remained prominent, with individuals such as Shu Qingchun (1853-1924), a renowned scholar and educator who played a crucial role in reforming China's education system.
The name SHU has also been associated with several place names in China, such as Shuzhou (formerly known as Shuyang) in Jiangsu Province and Shuangshui County in Hunan Province. These place names may have influenced the spread and distribution of the SHU surname across different regions.
It is worth noting that while the SHU surname has a long and rich history in China, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of the world, particularly in East and Southeast Asian communities, due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shu
Among Census respondents with the surname Shu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Shu 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 Shu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.1% · 2,862
- White5.0% · 159
- Black or African American2.1% · 67
- Two or more races2.0% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shu
Shu 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
#12,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,447
+555 bearers (+29.3%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 1,823 places
2020
#9,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,177
+730 bearers (+29.8%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 2,900 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,467 | 1,892 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,644 | 2,447 | 0.83 | +555 bearers (+29.3%) | Up 1,823 places |
| 2020 | #9,744 | 3,177 | 1.06 | +730 bearers (+29.8%) | Up 2,900 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 Shu 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 | #12,644 | #9,744 | 22.9% |
| Count | 2,447 | 3,177 | 29.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 1.06 | 28.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shu bearers went from 2,447 to 3,177 (+29.8% change). The surname moved up 2,900 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,644 to #9,744.
FAQ
Shu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shu?
Name Census estimates that about 3,643 living Americans carry the surname Shu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,086 residents.
How common is Shu?
Shu ranks #9,744 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,177 people with the surname Shu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,643), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Shu.
Has Shu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shu went from 2,447 recorded bearers to 3,177. That is an increase of 730 (+29.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,644 to #9,744.
What does the Census say about the background of Shu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Black (2.1%). 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 Shu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,862 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.1%), White (5.0%), Black (2.1%). 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 Shu (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 Shu mean?
A Chinese occupational surname referring to an imperial official overseeing books, drawings, or calligraphy. 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 Shu (1.06 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 Shu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.