2000
#6,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,812
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.78
Uncommon Last name
Xie
A Chinese surname meaning "thank, gratitude, or to decline politely," derived from the ancient state of Xie.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,435 Americans carry the last name Xie. That puts it at #2,207 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xie 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 Xie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 18,593
Census rank
#2,207
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,076 bearers of the surname Xie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2207th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xie, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xie
The surname Xie originates from China and can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have derived from the word "xie" which means "scorpion" in Mandarin Chinese. The name was likely adopted as a surname during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, who implemented a system of using family names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Xie surname can be found in the historical text "Zizhi Tongjian" (Resource for Governance), which documented events from the Han Dynasty to the Five Dynasties period. The text mentions a prominent official named Xie An (320-385 AD) who served during the Jin Dynasty.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Xie surname was particularly prevalent in the areas around present-day Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. The city of Xieshi, located in Zhejiang, is believed to have been named after the Xie family who once held significant influence in the region.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), a scholar and poet named Xie Zhaozhi (1567-1624) gained recognition for his contributions to literature and calligraphy. He was also known for his expertise in the study of the classic text "Book of Changes".
Another notable figure with the Xie surname was Xie Jin (1369-1415), a military general who played a crucial role in the founding of the Ming Dynasty. He is renowned for his strategic military campaigns against the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the Xie family produced several prominent scholars and officials. One such example is Xie Qikun (1737-1799), a renowned poet and essayist who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
In more recent history, the Xie surname has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields. For instance, Xie Xide (1921-2000) was a renowned nuclear physicist who played a pivotal role in China's nuclear weapons program.
Overall, the Xie surname has a rich historical lineage dating back to ancient China and has been associated with numerous influential figures throughout the country's dynastic periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xie
Among Census respondents with the surname Xie, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Xie 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 Xie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.8% · 15,564
- White2.0% · 319
- Black or African American0.5% · 77
- Two or more races0.4% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xie
Xie 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
#3,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,716
+4,904 bearers (+101.9%)
Per 100,000 3.29
Rank movement Up 2,843 places
2020
#2,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,076
+6,360 bearers (+65.5%)
Per 100,000 5.38
Rank movement Up 1,455 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,505 | 4,812 | 1.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,662 | 9,716 | 3.29 | +4,904 bearers (+101.9%) | Up 2,843 places |
| 2020 | #2,207 | 16,076 | 5.38 | +6,360 bearers (+65.5%) | Up 1,455 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 Xie 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 | #3,662 | #2,207 | 39.7% |
| Count | 9,716 | 16,076 | 65.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.29 | 5.38 | 63.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xie bearers went from 9,716 to 16,076 (+65.5% change). The surname moved up 1,455 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,662 to #2,207.
FAQ
Xie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xie?
Name Census estimates that about 18,435 living Americans carry the surname Xie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,593 residents.
How common is Xie?
Xie ranks #2,207 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,076 people with the surname Xie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,435), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Xie.
Has Xie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xie went from 9,716 recorded bearers to 16,076. That is an increase of 6,360 (+65.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,662 to #2,207.
What does the Census say about the background of Xie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xie, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Xie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.8% (15,564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.8%), White (2.0%), Black (0.5%). 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 Xie (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 Xie mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "thank, gratitude, or to decline politely," derived from the ancient state of Xie. 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 Xie (5.38 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 surname Xie?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.