2000
#1,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,567
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.99
Uncommon Last name
Tan
A Chinese surname derived from a state or fief named Tan during the Zhou dynasty period.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 45,218 Americans carry the last name Tan. That puts it at #856 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,580 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tan 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 Tan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
45K
1 in 7,580
Census rank
#856
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 39,432 bearers of the surname Tan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 856th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tan
The surname Tan is believed to have originated from the Chinese language, specifically from the Mandarin Chinese word "tan" which means "tanbark" or "tanner." It is a common surname in various regions of China, particularly in the southeastern coastal provinces like Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Tan can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in ancient China. During this period, the surname was often associated with individuals involved in the tanning industry or those who worked with leather.
In the 11th century, the Tan surname appears in the famous historical record known as the "Song Huiyao," a compilation of administrative documents from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This suggests that the name had already gained recognition and prominence by that time.
One notable figure in Chinese history bearing the surname Tan was Tan Qian (1594-1658), a renowned scholar and calligrapher during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. He was known for his exceptional calligraphy skills and his contributions to the development of the "Zhuang" calligraphic style.
Another significant individual with the surname Tan was Tan Zhongyi (1880-1976), a prominent educator and philosopher in modern China. He played a crucial role in the promotion of Western philosophical ideas and the modernization of Chinese education.
In the realm of literature, Tan Xizhi (1886-1973) was a celebrated writer and poet from Guangdong Province. His works often explored themes of social justice and the experiences of the common people.
Beyond China, the Tan surname has also gained prominence in other parts of the world, particularly in Southeast Asian countries with large Chinese diaspora communities, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
One notable figure of Tan descent from Singapore was Tan Kah Kee (1874-1961), a prominent businessman, philanthropist, and community leader. He played a significant role in the development of education and social welfare in Singapore and the Chinese community in Southeast Asia.
In the United States, Tan Dun (born 1957) is a renowned Chinese-American composer and conductor. He is best known for his score for the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," for which he won an Academy Award in 2001.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tan
Among Census respondents with the surname Tan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tan 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 Tan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.5% · 36,090
- White3.4% · 1,340
- Two or more races3.1% · 1,207
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 622
- Black or African American0.4% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tan
Tan 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
#1,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,120
+10,553 bearers (+48.9%)
Per 100,000 10.89
Rank movement Up 440 places
2020
#856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,432
+7,312 bearers (+22.8%)
Per 100,000 13.19
Rank movement Up 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,530 | 21,567 | 7.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,090 | 32,120 | 10.89 | +10,553 bearers (+48.9%) | Up 440 places |
| 2020 | #856 | 39,432 | 13.19 | +7,312 bearers (+22.8%) | Up 234 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 Tan 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 | #1,090 | #856 | 21.5% |
| Count | 32,120 | 39,432 | 22.8% |
| Per 100K | 10.89 | 13.19 | 21.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tan bearers went from 32,120 to 39,432 (+22.8% change). The surname moved up 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,090 to #856.
FAQ
Tan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tan?
Name Census estimates that about 45,218 living Americans carry the surname Tan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,580 residents.
How common is Tan?
Tan ranks #856 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 39,432 people with the surname Tan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (45,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Tan.
Has Tan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tan went from 32,120 recorded bearers to 39,432. That is an increase of 7,312 (+22.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,090 to #856.
What does the Census say about the background of Tan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Tan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (36,090 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.5%), White (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Tan (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 Tan mean?
A Chinese surname derived from a state or fief named Tan during the Zhou dynasty period. 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 Tan (13.19 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 common is the surname Tan?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Tan is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.