2000
#16,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,645
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Tian
A Chinese surname meaning "field" or "farmland," or referring to someone who worked or lived near fields.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,792 Americans carry the last name Tian. That puts it at #5,007 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tian 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 Tian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.8K
1 in 43,988
Census rank
#5,007
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,795 bearers of the surname Tian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5007th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tian
Among Census respondents with the surname Tian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tian 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 Tian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.1% · 6,461
- White3.1% · 212
- Two or more races0.6% · 43
- Black or African American0.6% · 39
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tian
Tian 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
#9,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,547
+1,902 bearers (+115.6%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 6,965 places
2020
#5,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,795
+3,248 bearers (+91.6%)
Per 100,000 2.27
Rank movement Up 4,188 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,160 | 1,645 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,195 | 3,547 | 1.20 | +1,902 bearers (+115.6%) | Up 6,965 places |
| 2020 | #5,007 | 6,795 | 2.27 | +3,248 bearers (+91.6%) | Up 4,188 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 Tian 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 | #9,195 | #5,007 | 45.5% |
| Count | 3,547 | 6,795 | 91.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 2.27 | 89.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tian bearers went from 3,547 to 6,795 (+91.6% change). The surname moved up 4,188 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,195 to #5,007.
FAQ
Tian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tian?
Name Census estimates that about 7,792 living Americans carry the surname Tian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,988 residents.
How common is Tian?
Tian ranks #5,007 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,795 people with the surname Tian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,792), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Tian.
Has Tian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tian went from 3,547 recorded bearers to 6,795. That is an increase of 3,248 (+91.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,195 to #5,007.
What does the Census say about the background of Tian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Tian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (6,461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.1%), White (3.1%), Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Tian (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 Tian mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "field" or "farmland," or referring to someone who worked or lived near fields. 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 Tian (2.27 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 Tian?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.