2000
#6,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,786
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.77
Uncommon Last name
Ye
A Chinese surname meaning "leaf" or "page," or a Korean surname meaning "art" or "craft."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,861 Americans carry the last name Ye. That puts it at #2,281 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,190 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ye 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 Ye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,190
Census rank
#2,281
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,576 bearers of the surname Ye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2281st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ye, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ye
The surname Ye originated in China and is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "ye" meaning "leaf." It is a relatively common surname, particularly in the southern regions of China, such as Guangdong and Fujian provinces.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ye can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where it was mentioned in various historical records and genealogical texts. During this period, the name was often associated with scholars and government officials.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Ye was Ye Fashan (594-668 AD), a renowned Buddhist monk and calligrapher who lived during the Tang Dynasty. Another notable figure was Ye Mengde (1077-1148 AD), a prominent Confucian scholar and philosopher from the Song Dynasty.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname Ye was particularly prominent in the region of Guangdong. The Ming Dynasty scholar and writer Ye Xianggao (1562-1627 AD) was a notable figure from this period, known for his works on literature and poetry.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the Ye surname continued to be well-represented among scholars and officials. One prominent individual was Ye Zhaoqi (1646-1718 AD), a scholar-official who served as a governor and made significant contributions to the compilation of local gazetteers.
In more recent history, the Ye surname has produced several notable figures in various fields. Ye Shengtao (1894-1988 AD) was a renowned educator and linguist who played a crucial role in the development of the Chinese language and writing system. Ye Qianyu (1904-1995 AD) was a respected artist and calligrapher, known for his innovative techniques and contributions to modern Chinese art.
While the surname Ye has its roots in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Individuals with this surname can be found in various countries, including Taiwan, Singapore, and diaspora communities in North America and Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ye
Among Census respondents with the surname Ye, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ye 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 Ye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.2% · 14,983
- White2.1% · 321
- Two or more races0.6% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 88
- Black or African American0.5% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ye
Ye 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
#3,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,839
+5,053 bearers (+105.6%)
Per 100,000 3.34
Rank movement Up 2,926 places
2020
#2,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,576
+5,737 bearers (+58.3%)
Per 100,000 5.21
Rank movement Up 1,328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,535 | 4,786 | 1.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,609 | 9,839 | 3.34 | +5,053 bearers (+105.6%) | Up 2,926 places |
| 2020 | #2,281 | 15,576 | 5.21 | +5,737 bearers (+58.3%) | Up 1,328 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 Ye 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 | #3,609 | #2,281 | 36.8% |
| Count | 9,839 | 15,576 | 58.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.34 | 5.21 | 56.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ye bearers went from 9,839 to 15,576 (+58.3% change). The surname moved up 1,328 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,609 to #2,281.
FAQ
Ye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ye?
Name Census estimates that about 17,861 living Americans carry the surname Ye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,190 residents.
How common is Ye?
Ye ranks #2,281 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.21 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 15,576 people with the surname Ye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.21 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 Ye.
Has Ye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ye went from 9,839 recorded bearers to 15,576. That is an increase of 5,737 (+58.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,609 to #2,281.
What does the Census say about the background of Ye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ye, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) 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 Ye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (14,983 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.2%), White (2.1%), 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 Ye (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 Ye mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "leaf" or "page," or a Korean surname meaning "art" or "craft." 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 Ye (5.21 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 Ye?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.