2000
#3,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,332
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.46
Uncommon Last name
Tsai
A Chinese surname meaning "talent" or "ability," likely referring to a skilled ancestor or family trait.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,003 Americans carry the last name Tsai. That puts it at #2,876 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,477 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tsai 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 Tsai with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,477
Census rank
#2,876
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,211 bearers of the surname Tsai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2876th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and White (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tsai
The surname "TSAI" is of Chinese origin and can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in China. It is derived from the ancient Chinese word "cài" which means "vegetable" or "plant." During this period, the name was primarily used as a surname by families who were involved in agriculture or the cultivation of crops.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "TSAI" can be found in the genealogical records of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). These records document a family with the surname "TSAI" residing in the Zhejiang province of China. The name was also prevalent in other regions such as Guangdong and Fujian, where many families with the surname "TSAI" were engaged in farming and agriculture.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname "TSAI" gained prominence and was associated with several notable figures. One such figure was Tsai Lun (63-121 AD), who is credited with inventing paper and the papermaking process. Tsai Lun's contributions played a significant role in the development of written communication and the spread of knowledge in ancient China.
Another prominent individual with the surname "TSAI" was Tsai Ying-wen (born in 1956), who served as the President of Taiwan from 2016 to 2020. She was the first woman to hold the office of the President in Taiwan and played a crucial role in promoting democracy and human rights in the country.
In the field of literature, Tsai Chih-chung (1601-1676) was a renowned Chinese playwright and novelist during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. His works, such as the novel "The Dream of the Red Chamber," are considered classics of Chinese literature and have been widely studied and celebrated.
Another notable figure with the surname "TSAI" was Tsai Ting-kan (1669-1738), a Chinese landscape painter and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty. His paintings and calligraphic works were highly acclaimed and are showcased in various art museums and collections around the world.
The surname "TSAI" has also been associated with various place names and locations in China, such as the Tsai River in Sichuan province and the Tsai Village in Guangdong province. These places were often named after prominent families or individuals with the surname "TSAI" who resided in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tsai
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and White (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tsai 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 Tsai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.0% · 11,356
- Two or more races3.2% · 388
- White2.5% · 311
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 124
- Black or African American0.3% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tsai
Tsai 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
#3,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,968
+1,636 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Up 212 places
2020
#2,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,211
+1,243 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 4.09
Rank movement Up 415 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,503 | 9,332 | 3.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,291 | 10,968 | 3.72 | +1,636 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 212 places |
| 2020 | #2,876 | 12,211 | 4.09 | +1,243 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 415 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 Tsai 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 | #3,291 | #2,876 | 12.6% |
| Count | 10,968 | 12,211 | 11.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.72 | 4.09 | 9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tsai bearers went from 10,968 to 12,211 (+11.3% change). The surname moved up 415 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,291 to #2,876.
FAQ
Tsai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tsai?
Name Census estimates that about 14,003 living Americans carry the surname Tsai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,477 residents.
How common is Tsai?
Tsai ranks #2,876 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,211 people with the surname Tsai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,003), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Tsai.
Has Tsai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tsai went from 10,968 recorded bearers to 12,211. That is an increase of 1,243 (+11.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,291 to #2,876.
What does the Census say about the background of Tsai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and White (2.5%). 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 Tsai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (11,356 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tsai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%), White (2.5%). 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 Tsai (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 Tsai mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "talent" or "ability," likely referring to a skilled ancestor or family trait. 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 Tsai (4.09 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 Tsai?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Tsai at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.