2000
#683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,815
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.98
Common Last name
Wu
A Chinese surname meaning "military" or "martial," originally referring to a person skilled in weapons or warfare.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111,837 Americans carry the last name Wu. That puts it at #318 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 32.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,065 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wu 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 Wu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
112K
1 in 3,065
Census rank
#318
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
32.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97,527 bearers of the surname Wu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 32.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 318th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wu
The surname Wu has its origins in China, where it can be traced back to the 3rd century BCE. It is derived from the ancient Chinese word "wu," which means "martial" or "military." This suggests that the name may have been originally borne by individuals who were associated with the military or had a reputation for martial prowess.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wu surname can be found in the Shiji, a historical text written by Sima Qian in the 1st century BCE. This text mentions several individuals with the Wu surname, including Wu Qi, a famous military strategist who lived during the Warring States period (475-221 BCE).
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), the Wu surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. In fact, many place names in these areas, such as Wuxi and Wuyi, are believed to have derived from the Wu surname.
One notable individual with the Wu surname was Wu Zetian, who reigned as the only female emperor in Chinese history from 690 to 705 CE. Her reign marked a significant period of political and cultural advancement, although it was also marked by controversy due to her unconventional rise to power.
Another prominent figure with the Wu surname was Wu Cheng'en, a 16th-century novelist best known for his classic work "Journey to the West." This novel, which tells the story of the famous Buddhist monk Xuanzang's journey to India, is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.
In the field of martial arts, the Wu surname is closely associated with the Wu family of Hunan province, who developed a style of internal martial arts known as Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan. This style, which dates back to the 17th century, was founded by Wu Quanyou (1834-1902) and has since become one of the most widely practiced forms of Tai Chi in the world.
Other notable individuals with the Wu surname include Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), a renowned calligrapher and painter during the Qing Dynasty, and Wu Jingzi (1701-1754), a scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of the Yi Jing, an ancient Chinese classic text.
Throughout its long history, the Wu surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of China and has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military leaders, writers, artists, and scholars. Its enduring legacy serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of China.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wu
Among Census respondents with the surname Wu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wu 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 Wu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 93,028
- White2.2% · 2,118
- Two or more races1.5% · 1,482
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 570
- Black or African American0.3% · 309
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wu
Wu 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
#461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 71,721
+25,906 bearers (+56.5%)
Per 100,000 24.31
Rank movement Up 222 places
2020
#318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97,527
+25,806 bearers (+36.0%)
Per 100,000 32.63
Rank movement Up 143 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #683 | 45,815 | 16.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #461 | 71,721 | 24.31 | +25,906 bearers (+56.5%) | Up 222 places |
| 2020 | #318 | 97,527 | 32.63 | +25,806 bearers (+36.0%) | Up 143 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 Wu 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 | #461 | #318 | 31.0% |
| Count | 71,721 | 97,527 | 36.0% |
| Per 100K | 24.31 | 32.63 | 34.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wu bearers went from 71,721 to 97,527 (+36.0% change). The surname moved up 143 positions in the national ranking, going from #461 to #318.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Wu
FAQ
Wu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wu?
Name Census estimates that about 111,837 living Americans carry the surname Wu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,065 residents.
How common is Wu?
Wu ranks #318 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 32.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 33 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 97,527 people with the surname Wu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111,837), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 32.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 32.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 33 of them to have the surname Wu.
Has Wu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wu went from 71,721 recorded bearers to 97,527. That is an increase of 25,806 (+36.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #461 to #318.
What does the Census say about the background of Wu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Wu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (93,028 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Wu (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 Wu mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "military" or "martial," originally referring to a person skilled in weapons or warfare. 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 Wu (32.63 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 share the surname Wu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.