2000
#10,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,768
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Uncommon Last name
Xiao
A Chinese surname meaning "little" or "small," often referring to a person's stature or age.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,837 Americans carry the last name Xiao. That puts it at #3,387 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,956 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xiao 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 Xiao with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,956
Census rank
#3,387
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,322 bearers of the surname Xiao in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3387th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xiao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xiao
The surname "XIAO" is of Chinese origin, tracing its roots back to ancient times in the region that is now modern-day China. This name has a rich history and cultural significance within the Chinese language and traditions.
Xiao is derived from the Chinese character "肖," which means "to resemble" or "to be similar to." It was originally used as a descriptive term to indicate someone's physical resemblance to an ancestor or a revered figure. Over time, this descriptive term evolved into a surname adopted by families.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Xiao can be found in the historical text "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian), written by the esteemed historian Sima Qian during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). This text mentions individuals with the surname Xiao who held prominent positions in the imperial court.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), a notable figure named Xiao Ye (608-680 AD) served as a high-ranking official and poet. His literary works and contributions to the arts have left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.
In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Xiao family from Zhejiang province rose to prominence. One of their descendants, Xiao Buzhi (1137-1203 AD), was a renowned philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism.
The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) saw the emergence of Xiao Xian (1484-1566 AD), a respected scholar and calligrapher whose works are still celebrated today for their artistic merit and philosophical depth.
In more recent history, the Xiao surname has been associated with several influential figures, including Xiao Qian (1910-1999), a pioneering journalist and writer who played a crucial role in shaping modern Chinese literature.
While the surname Xiao has its origins in ancient China, it has since spread and taken root in various regions around the world, including Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe, as a result of migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xiao
Among Census respondents with the surname Xiao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Xiao 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 Xiao surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.4% · 9,950
- White2.5% · 254
- Two or more races0.6% · 65
- Black or African American0.3% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xiao
Xiao 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
#5,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,123
+3,355 bearers (+121.2%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Up 4,957 places
2020
#3,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,322
+4,199 bearers (+68.6%)
Per 100,000 3.45
Rank movement Up 2,282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,626 | 2,768 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,669 | 6,123 | 2.08 | +3,355 bearers (+121.2%) | Up 4,957 places |
| 2020 | #3,387 | 10,322 | 3.45 | +4,199 bearers (+68.6%) | Up 2,282 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 Xiao 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 | #5,669 | #3,387 | 40.3% |
| Count | 6,123 | 10,322 | 68.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.08 | 3.45 | 66.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xiao bearers went from 6,123 to 10,322 (+68.6% change). The surname moved up 2,282 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,669 to #3,387.
FAQ
Xiao surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xiao?
Name Census estimates that about 11,837 living Americans carry the surname Xiao. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,956 residents.
How common is Xiao?
Xiao ranks #3,387 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,322 people with the surname Xiao. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,837), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Xiao.
Has Xiao become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xiao went from 6,123 recorded bearers to 10,322. That is an increase of 4,199 (+68.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,669 to #3,387.
What does the Census say about the background of Xiao?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xiao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Xiao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (9,950 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xiao appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.4%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (0.6%). 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 Xiao (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 Xiao mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "little" or "small," often referring to a person's stature or age. 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 Xiao (3.45 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 are called Xiao?
If you just want to know how common the surname Xiao is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.