2000
#12,573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,259
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Tsao
A Chinese surname meaning "pinnacle" or "summit," likely referring to an ancestor's dwelling place or status.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,987 Americans carry the last name Tsao. That puts it at #11,544 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,749 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tsao 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.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,749
Census rank
#11,544
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,605 bearers of the surname Tsao in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11544th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tsao
The surname Tsao originates from China, with its roots dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "曹," which was a common surname during that period. The name is particularly prevalent in the eastern coastal regions of China, such as Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
In ancient Chinese literature, the earliest recorded mention of the surname Tsao can be found in the "Book of Tang," a historical record of the Tang Dynasty. This work documents several prominent figures bearing the Tsao surname, including Tsao Xingda, a renowned scholar and calligrapher who lived during the 8th century.
One of the earliest and most notable individuals with the surname Tsao was Tsao Chun (920-976 AD), a renowned military strategist and general during the Song Dynasty. He played a crucial role in defending the Song Empire against the northern nomadic tribes and is celebrated for his tactical brilliance.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Tsao family rose to prominence, with several members holding influential positions in the imperial court. One such figure was Tsao Zongyi (1566-1642), a highly respected scholar and philosopher who served as a minister under the Chongzhen Emperor.
In the realm of literature, Tsao Xueqin (1715-1763) stands out as a notable figure. He is best known for authoring the celebrated novel "The Dream of the Red Chamber," a masterpiece that provides a vivid portrayal of 18th-century Chinese society and culture.
Another prominent individual bearing the Tsao surname was Tsao Kun (1863-1924), a influential warlord and military leader during the turbulent years following the fall of the Qing Dynasty. He played a significant role in the power struggles that shaped the early years of the Republic of China.
Throughout history, the Tsao surname has also been associated with various place names and locations across China. For instance, the city of Tsaozhou (now known as Hengshui) in Hebei Province was named after the Tsao family, who once held significant influence in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tsao
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tsao 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 Tsao surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.5% · 2,384
- Two or more races4.2% · 110
- White3.1% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 29
- Black or African American0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tsao
Tsao 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
#12,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,508
+249 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 176 places
2020
#11,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,605
+97 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 853 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,573 | 2,259 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,397 | 2,508 | 0.85 | +249 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 176 places |
| 2020 | #11,544 | 2,605 | 0.87 | +97 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 853 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 Tsao 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 | #12,397 | #11,544 | 6.9% |
| Count | 2,508 | 2,605 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.87 | 2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tsao bearers went from 2,508 to 2,605 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 853 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,397 to #11,544.
FAQ
Tsao surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tsao?
Name Census estimates that about 2,987 living Americans carry the surname Tsao. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,749 residents.
How common is Tsao?
Tsao ranks #11,544 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 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 2,605 people with the surname Tsao. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,987), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 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 Tsao.
Has Tsao become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tsao went from 2,508 recorded bearers to 2,605. That is an increase of 97 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,397 to #11,544.
What does the Census say about the background of Tsao?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (3.1%). 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 Tsao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (2,384 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tsao appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), White (3.1%). 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 Tsao (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 Tsao mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "pinnacle" or "summit," likely referring to an ancestor's dwelling place or status. 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 Tsao (0.87 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 Tsao?
See how many people are called Tsao on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.