2000
#107,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Xa
A surname of Chinese origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 240 Americans carry the last name Xa. That puts it at #93,963 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,428,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xa 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
240
1 in 1,428,143
Census rank
#93,963
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
209
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 209 bearers of the surname Xa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 93963rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xa
The surname XA is relatively rare and has obscure origins. The name is believed to have originated from the Iberian Peninsula, specifically from regions that are now part of Spain and Portugal, during the medieval period around the 12th century. Linguistic scholars suggest that the name XA may have stemmed from regional dialects or local languages that were common in that area and time period.
In terms of etymology, the surname XA might derive from an old Iberian word, perhaps related to geographical features or local flora and fauna. No exact ancient word has been definitively identified, but researchers suspect that it could be connected to an archaic term for a place or natural element. Variations and similar spellings such as Ja, Xà, or Xa with diacritical marks have appeared in historical documents.
One of the earliest historical references to the surname XA can be found in a 13th-century land registry in the Kingdom of León, where a certain Álvaro de XA is mentioned as a minor nobleman with landholdings. This record provides one of the few pieces of documentary evidence linking the surname to a specific individual and location.
In another historical manuscript dated to the early 14th century, a merchant named Bartolomeu XA is recorded as having participated in a trade expedition to North Africa. This entry highlights the gradual spread of the surname beyond the Iberian Peninsula due to trade and migration during the medieval period.
An additional notable bearer of the surname in the mid-15th century was Rodrigo XA, a knight who fought in the Reconquista, the series of campaigns by Christian states to recapture territory from the Muslim Moors. His service was commemorated in several chronicles of the period.
In the 16th century, a physician named María XA gained prominence in Lisbon for her work during a plague outbreak. Her medical expertise was documented in a series of letters and treatises that have since been preserved in Portuguese archives.
Moving into the 17th century, the surname XA continues to be found in historical records. One notable individual was Francisco de XA, a renowned poet and playwright whose works are considered part of the Spanish Golden Age of literature. Francisco's birth date is recorded as 1623, and he died in 1676.
These historical references highlight the geographical spread and diverse roles assumed by individuals bearing the surname XA over the centuries. The name serves as a testament to the rich cultural and societal contributions of its bearers throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xa
Among Census respondents with the surname Xa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Xa 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 Xa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.6% · 181
- White6.2% · 13
- Two or more races3.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 6
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xa
Xa 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
#100,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 179
+25 bearers (+16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 6,247 places
2020
#93,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 209
+30 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 6,828 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,038 | 154 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #100,791 | 179 | 0.06 | +25 bearers (+16.2%) | Up 6,247 places |
| 2020 | #93,963 | 209 | 0.07 | +30 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 6,828 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 Xa 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 | #100,791 | #93,963 | 6.8% |
| Count | 179 | 209 | 16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 16.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xa bearers went from 179 to 209 (+16.8% change). The surname moved up 6,828 positions in the national ranking, going from #100,791 to #93,963.
FAQ
Xa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xa?
Name Census estimates that about 240 living Americans carry the surname Xa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,428,143 residents.
How common is Xa?
Xa ranks #93,963 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 209 people with the surname Xa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (240), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Xa.
Has Xa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xa went from 179 recorded bearers to 209. That is an increase of 30 (+16.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #100,791 to #93,963.
What does the Census say about the background of Xa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Xa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (181 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.6%), White (6.2%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Xa (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 Xa mean?
A surname of Chinese origin. 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 Xa (0.07 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 Xa?
Want to know how many people are called Xa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.