2000
#15,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Ying
A Chinese surname meaning "brave," "heroic," or "courageous," often bestowed upon valiant warriors or military leaders.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,042 Americans carry the last name Ying. That puts it at #11,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ying 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 Ying with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,674
Census rank
#11,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,653 bearers of the surname Ying in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ying, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and White (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ying
The surname YING has its origins in China, where it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "ying," which means "flourishing" or "prosperous." The name was likely given to individuals or families who were prosperous or successful in their endeavors.
In ancient Chinese records, such as the Tang Dynasty's imperial archives, one can find references to individuals bearing the surname YING. These records often detailed the accomplishments and positions held by members of the YING family within the imperial bureaucracy or military ranks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname YING can be found in the writings of the renowned Tang poet Li Bai (701-762 AD), who mentioned a friend named YING Tao in one of his poems. Another notable figure was YING Xiu (557-645 AD), a high-ranking official and scholar during the Tang Dynasty.
Throughout Chinese history, the surname YING has been associated with various place names and localities. For instance, there is a town called Yingcheng (literally "Flourishing City") in Hubei Province, which may have been named after individuals or families with the YING surname who resided there.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the YING surname gained further prominence with the rise of the YING family of Fuzhou, a influential clan that produced several high-ranking government officials and scholars. One of the most famous members of this family was YING Zongze (1019-1083 AD), a renowned calligrapher and poet.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the YING surname was also associated with the YING family of Anhui Province, which produced several notable scholars and officials, including YING Jianren (1553-1605 AD), a prominent Confucian scholar and educator.
As the centuries passed, the YING surname continued to be carried by notable individuals, such as YING Shao (fl. 195-200 AD), a historian and author of the "Fengsu Tongyi" during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and YING Zhenguan (1674-1736 AD), a scholar and official during the Qing Dynasty.
While the surname YING has deep historical roots in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and primary historical significance remain firmly rooted in the rich tapestry of Chinese history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ying
Among Census respondents with the surname Ying, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and White (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ying 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 Ying surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.6% · 2,351
- Two or more races4.4% · 117
- White4.0% · 105
- Black or African American1.7% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ying
Ying 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
#15,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,964
+288 bearers (+17.2%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 890 places
2020
#11,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,653
+689 bearers (+35.1%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 3,680 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,933 | 1,676 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,043 | 1,964 | 0.67 | +288 bearers (+17.2%) | Up 890 places |
| 2020 | #11,363 | 2,653 | 0.89 | +689 bearers (+35.1%) | Up 3,680 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 Ying 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 | #15,043 | #11,363 | 24.5% |
| Count | 1,964 | 2,653 | 35.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.89 | 32.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ying bearers went from 1,964 to 2,653 (+35.1% change). The surname moved up 3,680 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,043 to #11,363.
FAQ
Ying surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ying?
Name Census estimates that about 3,042 living Americans carry the surname Ying. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,674 residents.
How common is Ying?
Ying ranks #11,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,653 people with the surname Ying. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,042), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ying.
Has Ying become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ying went from 1,964 recorded bearers to 2,653. That is an increase of 689 (+35.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,043 to #11,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Ying?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ying, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and White (4.0%). 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 Ying in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (2,351 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ying appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%), White (4.0%). 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 Ying (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 Ying mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "brave," "heroic," or "courageous," often bestowed upon valiant warriors or military leaders. 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 Ying (0.89 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 common is the surname Ying?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Ying, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.