2000
#14,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,847
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Xia
A Chinese surname meaning "chivalrous" or "heroic," often referring to the first king of the Xia dynasty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,276 Americans carry the last name Xia. That puts it at #5,301 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,108 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xia 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 Xia with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 47,108
Census rank
#5,301
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,345 bearers of the surname Xia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5301st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xia
The surname Xia is of Chinese origin, originating from the Han Chinese ethnic group. The name can be traced back to the early imperial era of China, during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Old Chinese word "xiā" (夏), which referred to the renowned Xia Dynasty, one of the earliest and seminal dynasties in Chinese history.
Historically, the name Xia was closely associated with the region of Henan province in central China, where the Xia Dynasty is believed to have been centered. Ancient texts, such as the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian, mention the Xia Dynasty and its rulers, suggesting that the surname was already in use during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname Xia was Xia He (夏賀), a renowned scholar and historian who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). He is known for his contributions to the study of ancient Chinese texts and his work on the classic literary anthology, the Wenxuan.
Another notable figure from ancient China with the surname Xia was Xia Houyuan (夏侯淵), a military general and politician who lived during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). He served under the Cao Wei state and played a crucial role in several military campaigns and administrative affairs.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Xia surname gained prominence with the rise of Xia Yuanxian (夏元賢), a high-ranking official and scholar who served as a chief minister under Emperor Xuanzong. His contributions to governance and literary works earned him a respected place in Chinese history.
In the realm of literature, Xia Zhengnong (夏徵農) was a celebrated poet and calligrapher who lived during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD). His poetic works were widely admired and influential in the literary circles of his time.
Another notable figure with the Xia surname was Xia Shouzhi (夏受之), a prominent mathematician and astronomer from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). He made significant contributions to the advancement of Chinese mathematics and astronomical calculations, earning him recognition as one of the most influential scholars of his era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xia
Among Census respondents with the surname Xia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Xia 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 Xia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.5% · 6,062
- White2.6% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 46
- Two or more races0.6% · 36
- Black or African American0.5% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xia
Xia 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
#8,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,693
+1,846 bearers (+99.9%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Up 5,878 places
2020
#5,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,345
+2,652 bearers (+71.8%)
Per 100,000 2.12
Rank movement Up 3,566 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,745 | 1,847 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,867 | 3,693 | 1.25 | +1,846 bearers (+99.9%) | Up 5,878 places |
| 2020 | #5,301 | 6,345 | 2.12 | +2,652 bearers (+71.8%) | Up 3,566 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 Xia 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 | #8,867 | #5,301 | 40.2% |
| Count | 3,693 | 6,345 | 71.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 2.12 | 69.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xia bearers went from 3,693 to 6,345 (+71.8% change). The surname moved up 3,566 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,867 to #5,301.
FAQ
Xia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xia?
Name Census estimates that about 7,276 living Americans carry the surname Xia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,108 residents.
How common is Xia?
Xia ranks #5,301 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 6,345 people with the surname Xia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,276), 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 Xia.
Has Xia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xia went from 3,693 recorded bearers to 6,345. That is an increase of 2,652 (+71.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,867 to #5,301.
What does the Census say about the background of Xia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Hispanic (0.7%). 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 Xia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (6,062 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.5%), White (2.6%), Hispanic (0.7%). 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 Xia (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 Xia mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "chivalrous" or "heroic," often referring to the first king of the Xia dynasty. 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 Xia (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 share the surname Xia?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.