2000
#9,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,050
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Ting
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Ting, or referring to a court official or pavilion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,479 Americans carry the last name Ting. That puts it at #8,115 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,525 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ting 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 Ting with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,525
Census rank
#8,115
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,906 bearers of the surname Ting in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8115th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ting, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and White (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ting
The surname Ting has its origins in China, where it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have originated from the Chinese word "ting," which means "pavilion" or "hall." This surname was likely adopted by families who lived near or owned such structures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ting surname can be found in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) records, where a scholar named Ting Yunzhong (1547-1627) was mentioned. He was a renowned calligrapher and poet during the Wanli era.
In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), there was a famous military general named Ting Bingchang (1837-1895) who played a significant role in the Taiping Rebellion. He was known for his strategic military campaigns and his loyalty to the Qing Empire.
Another notable figure with the Ting surname was Ting Wen-chiang (1887-1975), a renowned historian and educator. He was a professor at Peking University and played a crucial role in preserving and promoting Chinese culture and history.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Ting surname spread to other parts of the world due to Chinese immigration. One example is Ting Yat-ming (1896-1962), a prominent Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist who established the Ting Hong Society, a charitable organization.
In the literary world, Ting Hsi-mo (1900-1972) was a celebrated Chinese author and playwright. He is best known for his novels and plays that explored social issues and the lives of ordinary people in China.
Throughout its history, the Ting surname has been associated with various place names and locations within China, such as Ting County in Hebei Province and Ting Village in Sichuan Province. These place names often reflected the presence of prominent Ting families or their ancestral homes.
While the Ting surname may have evolved or been spelled differently in certain regions or dialects, its origins can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty and the Chinese word "ting," reflecting the importance of pavilions and halls in ancient Chinese architecture and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ting
Among Census respondents with the surname Ting, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and White (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ting 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 Ting surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.6% · 3,303
- Two or more races6.7% · 260
- White6.4% · 251
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 67
- Black or African American0.6% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ting
Ting 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
#10,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,103
+53 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 600 places
2020
#8,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,906
+803 bearers (+25.9%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 2,267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,782 | 3,050 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,382 | 3,103 | 1.05 | +53 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 600 places |
| 2020 | #8,115 | 3,906 | 1.31 | +803 bearers (+25.9%) | Up 2,267 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 Ting 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 | #10,382 | #8,115 | 21.8% |
| Count | 3,103 | 3,906 | 25.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.31 | 24.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ting bearers went from 3,103 to 3,906 (+25.9% change). The surname moved up 2,267 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,382 to #8,115.
FAQ
Ting surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ting?
Name Census estimates that about 4,479 living Americans carry the surname Ting. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,525 residents.
How common is Ting?
Ting ranks #8,115 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 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 3,906 people with the surname Ting. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 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 Ting.
Has Ting become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ting went from 3,103 recorded bearers to 3,906. That is an increase of 803 (+25.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,382 to #8,115.
What does the Census say about the background of Ting?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ting, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and White (6.4%). 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 Ting in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (3,303 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ting appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.6%), Two or More Races (6.7%), White (6.4%). 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 Ting (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 Ting mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Ting, or referring to a court official or pavilion. 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 Ting (1.31 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 Ting?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.