2000
#1,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,446
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.43
Uncommon Last name
Tang
A Chinese surname referring to the Tang dynasty, a prosperous era in Chinese history.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 48,791 Americans carry the last name Tang. That puts it at #794 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,025 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tang 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 Tang with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
49K
1 in 7,025
Census rank
#794
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
43K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 42,548 bearers of the surname Tang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 794th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tang
The surname Tang has its origins in China, where it is believed to have emerged during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) as a reference to the ruling imperial family. The name is derived from the Chinese word "tang," which means "prosperous" or "flourishing."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tang surname can be found in the historic text "The Book of Tang," a chronology of the Tang Dynasty. This work, compiled in the 10th century, mentions several prominent individuals with the Tang surname who held positions of power and influence during this era.
During the Tang Dynasty, the Tang surname was closely associated with the imperial court and the ruling class. It is believed that many individuals adopted the surname as a way to associate themselves with the prestige and power of the imperial family.
In the centuries following the Tang Dynasty, the Tang surname continued to be prevalent in various regions of China. It is particularly common in the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang, where it has a long and rich history.
One notable individual with the Tang surname was Tang Yin (1470-1524), a renowned Ming Dynasty painter and calligrapher. His works are highly regarded in the annals of Chinese art and are preserved in various museums and collections around the world.
Another prominent figure was Tang Xianzu (1550-1616), a celebrated playwright and poet of the Ming Dynasty. He is best known for his masterpiece "The Peony Pavilion," which is considered one of the greatest works of Chinese literature.
In the 19th century, Tang Ying (1823-1857) was a prominent Qing Dynasty scholar and poet. His literary works and contributions to the field of education earned him widespread recognition and respect.
The Tang surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of Asia, such as Vietnam and Korea, where it is believed to have been introduced through trade and cultural exchange with China.
Throughout history, the Tang surname has been associated with various place names and locations in China, such as Tangshan, a city in Hebei province, and Tangxi, a town in Zhejiang province. These place names often reflect the presence of individuals or families with the Tang surname in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tang
Among Census respondents with the surname Tang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Tang 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 Tang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.7% · 39,455
- White2.8% · 1,181
- Two or more races2.4% · 1,014
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 578
- Black or African American0.7% · 302
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tang
Tang 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
#999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,961
+9,515 bearers (+37.4%)
Per 100,000 11.85
Rank movement Up 270 places
2020
#794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,548
+7,587 bearers (+21.7%)
Per 100,000 14.23
Rank movement Up 205 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,269 | 25,446 | 9.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #999 | 34,961 | 11.85 | +9,515 bearers (+37.4%) | Up 270 places |
| 2020 | #794 | 42,548 | 14.23 | +7,587 bearers (+21.7%) | Up 205 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 Tang 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 | #999 | #794 | 20.5% |
| Count | 34,961 | 42,548 | 21.7% |
| Per 100K | 11.85 | 14.23 | 20.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tang bearers went from 34,961 to 42,548 (+21.7% change). The surname moved up 205 positions in the national ranking, going from #999 to #794.
FAQ
Tang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tang?
Name Census estimates that about 48,791 living Americans carry the surname Tang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,025 residents.
How common is Tang?
Tang ranks #794 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 42,548 people with the surname Tang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (48,791), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Tang.
Has Tang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tang went from 34,961 recorded bearers to 42,548. That is an increase of 7,587 (+21.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #999 to #794.
What does the Census say about the background of Tang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Tang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (39,455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.7%), White (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Tang (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 Tang mean?
A Chinese surname referring to the Tang dynasty, a prosperous era in Chinese history. 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 Tang (14.23 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 surname Tang?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.