Find out how popular the last name Tian is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tian.

Tian, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tian in America

Tian is the 9195th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tian surname appeared 3,547 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tian to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Tian

The surname TIAN has its origins in China, where it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to be derived from the Chinese word "tian", which means "heaven" or "sky". This surname is particularly prevalent in the northern regions of China, including the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the TIAN surname can be found in the "Quan Tang Wen" (Complete Tang Literature), a comprehensive collection of literary works from the Tang Dynasty. This record suggests that the name was already in use during that period.

In ancient Chinese history, the TIAN surname was associated with various prominent figures. For example, Tian Guang (592-667 AD), a renowned Buddhist monk and scholar, was known for his contributions to the development of Chinese Buddhism.

Another notable figure was Tian Rucheng (1503-1557 AD), a famous Chinese painter and calligrapher during the Ming Dynasty. His works are highly regarded and can be found in various museums and collections around the world.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the TIAN surname gained further recognition. Tian Wenjing (1662-1732 AD) was a prominent scholar and official who served as a teacher to the Qing imperial family.

In more recent times, Tian Han (1898-1968 AD) was a celebrated Chinese playwright and poet known for his works that reflected the struggles of the Chinese people during the early 20th century.

While the TIAN surname is most commonly associated with China, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. Some variations of the spelling include Tien, Tin, and Tiên, which can be found among Chinese diaspora communities in Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tian

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tian.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tian was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tian, please contact us.

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