2000
#5,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,429
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.01
Rare Last name
Tse
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Tse or referring to an official position in traditional China.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,269 Americans carry the last name Tse. That puts it at #5,305 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,153 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tse 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 Tse with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 47,153
Census rank
#5,305
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,339 bearers of the surname Tse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5305th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tse, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and White (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tse
The surname "Tse" originated in China, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Chinese character "澤" (ze), which means "marsh" or "pool". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a marsh or body of water.
In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the surname Tse was recorded as "澤" in historical documents. During this period, it was common for Chinese surnames to be derived from geographical features, occupations, or personal characteristics. The Tse surname likely originated from a location or a person's association with a marsh or wetland area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tse surname can be found in the "Zizhi Tongjian" (資治通鑑), a renowned historical text compiled by Chinese scholar Sima Guang during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This work mentions several individuals with the surname Tse who held official positions or played significant roles in historical events.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a prominent figure named Tse Wan (1492-1533) was a renowned scholar and calligrapher. He was known for his mastery of the "cursive script" and his contributions to the development of Chinese calligraphy.
Another notable individual bearing the Tse surname was Tse Tsan-tai (1872-1938), a Chinese revolutionist and politician who played an important role in the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China.
During the Tang Dynasty, the Tse surname was also associated with the ancient city of Tse Cheng (澤城), located in present-day Shandong Province. This city was known for its strategic location near marshlands and its role as a trade center.
In addition to its Chinese roots, the surname Tse has also been adopted by various ethnic groups in Southeast Asia, such as the Hmong and Vietnamese communities. In these regions, the name may have slightly different pronunciations or spellings, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the local languages.
Throughout history, the Tse surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, politicians, and military leaders. While the name's origins can be traced back to ancient China, its legacy has been shaped by the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have borne it over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tse
Among Census respondents with the surname Tse, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and White (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tse 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 Tse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.4% · 5,794
- Two or more races3.3% · 211
- White2.6% · 163
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 110
- Black or African American0.9% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tse
Tse 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
#5,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,227
+798 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Up 255 places
2020
#5,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,339
+112 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Up 277 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,837 | 5,429 | 2.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,582 | 6,227 | 2.11 | +798 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 255 places |
| 2020 | #5,305 | 6,339 | 2.12 | +112 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 277 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 Tse 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 | #5,582 | #5,305 | 5.0% |
| Count | 6,227 | 6,339 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 2.12 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tse bearers went from 6,227 to 6,339 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 277 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,582 to #5,305.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tse
FAQ
Tse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tse?
Name Census estimates that about 7,269 living Americans carry the surname Tse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,153 residents.
How common is Tse?
Tse ranks #5,305 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.12 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 6,339 people with the surname Tse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,269), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.12 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 Tse.
Has Tse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tse went from 6,227 recorded bearers to 6,339. That is an increase of 112 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,582 to #5,305.
What does the Census say about the background of Tse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tse, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and White (2.6%). 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 Tse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (5,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%), White (2.6%). 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 Tse (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 Tse mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Tse or referring to an official position in traditional China. 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 Tse (2.12 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 Tse?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.