2000
#2,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,628
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.31
Uncommon Last name
Woo
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Wu or the profession of hunting.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,145 Americans carry the last name Woo. That puts it at #2,669 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,632 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woo 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 Woo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,632
Census rank
#2,669
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,207 bearers of the surname Woo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2669th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and White (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woo
The surname "Woo" is believed to have originated in China, specifically in the Guangdong province of southern China. It is a transliteration of the Chinese surname 胡, which can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC) and is one of the oldest Chinese surnames.
The name "Woo" is derived from the ancient Chinese word "Hu," which referred to the nomadic people who lived in the northern and northwestern regions of China. The Hu people were known for their martial prowess and played a significant role in the history of ancient China.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "Woo" can be found in the "Book of Han," a historical text written during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD). The book documents the existence of several prominent individuals with the surname "Hu," which was later transliterated into "Woo" in the English language.
During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the surname "Woo" gained prominence, and several notable figures with this surname emerged. One such individual was Woo Tsung-hsien (629–706 AD), a renowned scholar and poet who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
In the 13th century, a branch of the Woo family migrated to the Korean Peninsula, where the surname was adapted and pronounced as "U" or "Woo." This branch of the family produced several notable figures, including Woo Kwon-hun (1479–1552), a prominent military leader and diplomat during the Joseon Dynasty.
Another notable figure with the surname "Woo" was Woo Tseyan (1609–1688), a Chinese poet and calligrapher who lived during the Qing Dynasty. His works are widely celebrated and have had a lasting influence on Chinese literature and calligraphy.
In more recent times, the surname "Woo" has been carried by individuals such as Woo Bong-seo (1888–1958), a Korean independence activist and politician, and Woo Jae-il (1937–2015), a prominent South Korean actor and director.
While the surname "Woo" is most commonly associated with Chinese and Korean heritage, it has also been adopted by individuals from other cultural backgrounds, reflecting the diversity and global reach of this ancient name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woo
Among Census respondents with the surname Woo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and White (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Woo 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 Woo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.0% · 11,095
- Two or more races6.0% · 794
- White5.6% · 746
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 463
- Black or African American0.8% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woo
Woo 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
#2,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,003
+1,375 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 4.41
Rank movement Up 49 places
2020
#2,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,207
+204 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 4.42
Rank movement Up 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,824 | 11,628 | 4.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,775 | 13,003 | 4.41 | +1,375 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 49 places |
| 2020 | #2,669 | 13,207 | 4.42 | +204 bearers (+1.6%) | Up 106 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 Woo 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 | #2,775 | #2,669 | 3.8% |
| Count | 13,003 | 13,207 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.41 | 4.42 | 0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woo bearers went from 13,003 to 13,207 (+1.6% change). The surname moved up 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,775 to #2,669.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Woo
FAQ
Woo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woo?
Name Census estimates that about 15,145 living Americans carry the surname Woo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,632 residents.
How common is Woo?
Woo ranks #2,669 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.42 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 13,207 people with the surname Woo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,145), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.42 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 Woo.
Has Woo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woo went from 13,003 recorded bearers to 13,207. That is an increase of 204 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,775 to #2,669.
What does the Census say about the background of Woo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and White (5.6%). 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 Woo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (11,095 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.0%), Two or More Races (6.0%), White (5.6%). 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 Woo (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 Woo mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Wu or the profession of hunting. 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 Woo (4.42 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 have the last name Woo?
You can see how common the surname Woo is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.