2000
#4,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,979
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.59
Uncommon Last name
To
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Tao, meaning "peach" or "pottery kiln."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,709 Americans carry the last name To. That puts it at #3,416 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the To 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 To with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,273
Census rank
#3,416
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,211 bearers of the surname To in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3416th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname To, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of To
The surname "To" has its origins in China, where it first emerged during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). The name is derived from the Chinese word "tao," which means "way" or "path." It is thought that the surname was initially given to families living near major roads or trade routes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "To" can be found in the imperial records of the Tang Dynasty, where a scholar named To Yuanming is mentioned as serving in the court of Emperor Xuanzong in the 8th century AD. Another notable figure was To Qian, a famous general who led the imperial forces to victory against rebel armies in the late 9th century.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the surname "To" became more widespread, particularly in the southern regions of China. In the early 12th century, a prominent scholar named To Tuan wrote a highly influential work on Confucian philosophy, which was widely studied by scholars and officials of the time.
The surname "To" can also be traced back to several place names in China, such as Tozhou and Toshan, which were important commercial and administrative centers during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). One of the most famous individuals with this surname was To Hiyen, a celebrated artist and calligrapher who lived in the 16th century and whose works are still highly regarded today.
In the 17th century, a wealthy merchant named To Xingzhi established a trading empire that spanned across Southeast Asia and parts of the Middle East. His successful business ventures contributed to the spread of the surname "To" beyond the borders of China.
Another notable figure with the surname "To" was To Liangqing, a renowned poet and playwright who lived during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD). His works, which explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, continue to be studied and performed to this day.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals associated with the surname "To," which has its roots in ancient China and has since spread to various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for To
Among Census respondents with the surname To, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how To 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 To surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.3% · 9,425
- White3.0% · 304
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 206
- Two or more races2.0% · 201
- Black or African American0.7% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for To
To 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
#3,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,934
+1,955 bearers (+28.0%)
Per 100,000 3.03
Rank movement Up 670 places
2020
#3,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,211
+1,277 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 3.42
Rank movement Up 563 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,649 | 6,979 | 2.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,979 | 8,934 | 3.03 | +1,955 bearers (+28.0%) | Up 670 places |
| 2020 | #3,416 | 10,211 | 3.42 | +1,277 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 563 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 To 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 | #3,979 | #3,416 | 14.1% |
| Count | 8,934 | 10,211 | 14.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.03 | 3.42 | 12.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of To bearers went from 8,934 to 10,211 (+14.3% change). The surname moved up 563 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,979 to #3,416.
FAQ
To surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname To?
Name Census estimates that about 11,709 living Americans carry the surname To. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,273 residents.
How common is To?
To ranks #3,416 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,211 people with the surname To. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname To.
Has To become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname To went from 8,934 recorded bearers to 10,211. That is an increase of 1,277 (+14.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,979 to #3,416.
What does the Census say about the background of To?
Among Census respondents with the surname To, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 To in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (9,425 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
To appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.3%), White (3.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 To (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 To mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Tao, meaning "peach" or "pottery kiln." 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 To (3.42 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 are called To?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname To is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.