2000
#17,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,447
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Xue
A Chinese surname meaning "cave" or "hole," which may refer to an ancestor's dwelling place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,896 Americans carry the last name Xue. That puts it at #5,579 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,703 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xue 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 Xue with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,703
Census rank
#5,579
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,014 bearers of the surname Xue in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5579th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xue, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xue
The surname Xue originates from China and has a long and rich history dating back to ancient times. It is believed to have its roots in the Chinese word "xue" which means "snow" or "study."
The name was primarily found in the northern regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi. It is thought that the name was initially adopted by families or clans that lived in areas with snowy winters or were associated with scholarly pursuits.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Xue can be found in the historical records of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). During this period, several prominent scholars and officials bore this surname, indicating its association with intellectual and academic pursuits.
In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the surname Xue gained further prominence. The famous scholar and philosopher Xue Xuan (916-992 AD) was a renowned Confucian thinker whose writings and teachings had a significant impact on Neo-Confucianism.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname Xue produced several notable figures. Xue Yingqi (1487-1564 AD) was a prominent military strategist and author, known for his contributions to the field of military tactics and strategy.
Another well-known figure was Xue Huayuan (1608-1680 AD), a scholar and writer who was renowned for his literary works and calligraphy. His poems and essays were widely appreciated and studied during his time.
In more recent history, the surname Xue has continued to be associated with scholars and intellectuals. Xue Muqiao (1904-1998 AD) was a renowned historian and educator who made significant contributions to the study of Chinese history and culture.
It is important to note that the spelling and pronunciation of the surname Xue may vary slightly depending on the regional dialects and romanization systems used. However, the core meaning and historical significance remain consistent across different regions of China.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xue
Among Census respondents with the surname Xue, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Xue 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 Xue surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.2% · 5,786
- White2.3% · 139
- Two or more races0.7% · 44
- Black or African American0.4% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xue
Xue 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
#9,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,248
+1,801 bearers (+124.5%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 7,903 places
2020
#5,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,014
+2,766 bearers (+85.2%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Up 4,353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,835 | 1,447 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,932 | 3,248 | 1.10 | +1,801 bearers (+124.5%) | Up 7,903 places |
| 2020 | #5,579 | 6,014 | 2.01 | +2,766 bearers (+85.2%) | Up 4,353 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 Xue 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 | #9,932 | #5,579 | 43.8% |
| Count | 3,248 | 6,014 | 85.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 2.01 | 82.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xue bearers went from 3,248 to 6,014 (+85.2% change). The surname moved up 4,353 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,932 to #5,579.
FAQ
Xue surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xue?
Name Census estimates that about 6,896 living Americans carry the surname Xue. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,703 residents.
How common is Xue?
Xue ranks #5,579 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.01 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 6,014 people with the surname Xue. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,896), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.01 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 Xue.
Has Xue become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xue went from 3,248 recorded bearers to 6,014. That is an increase of 2,766 (+85.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,932 to #5,579.
What does the Census say about the background of Xue?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xue, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (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 Xue in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (5,786 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xue appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.2%), White (2.3%), Two or More Races (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 Xue (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 Xue mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "cave" or "hole," which may refer to an ancestor's dwelling place. 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 Xue (2.01 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 Xue?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.