2000
#9,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,246
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
You
A Chinese surname meaning "excellent" or "superior," or referring to a person from the ancient state of You.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,568 Americans carry the last name You. That puts it at #4,128 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the You 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 You with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.6K
1 in 35,823
Census rank
#4,128
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,344 bearers of the surname You in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4128th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname You, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.2%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of You
The surname "You" is believed to have originated in China, tracing its roots back to the 8th century AD. In the Chinese language, the word "you" translates to "friend" or "companion," suggesting that the name may have initially been a descriptive moniker for someone who was known for their amicable and sociable nature.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the name "You" appears in several historical records, such as the "Biographical Records of Eminent Monks" and the "Old Book of Tang." These documents mention individuals with the surname "You," indicating that the name had already gained recognition and prevalence within certain regions of China.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "You" can be found in the "Book of Sui," a historical text compiled during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD). This reference dates back to the 6th century and suggests that the name had established itself as a surname by that time.
In the 11th century, a prominent figure named You Shi (1053-1102) gained recognition as a celebrated poet and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty. His literary works and artistic contributions helped to further establish the name "You" within the cultural landscape of ancient China.
Another notable individual bearing the surname "You" was You Tong (1618-1704), a Qing Dynasty scholar and official who served as a tutor to the Kangxi Emperor. His expertise in classical Chinese literature and philosophy earned him significant respect and influence within the imperial court.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the name "You" also found its way into local place names, such as Youxian County in Hunan Province and Youyi County in Sichuan Province. These geographic designations further solidified the surname's presence and distribution across various regions of China.
It is worth noting that the surname "You" has also been documented in other parts of Asia, such as Japan and Korea, where it may have been adopted or adapted from the Chinese language and culture. However, the exact origins and migration patterns of the name in these regions are less well-documented and may have evolved independently over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for You
Among Census respondents with the surname You, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.2%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how You 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 You surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.2% · 6,444
- White15.7% · 1,306
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 239
- Black or African American2.2% · 181
- Two or more races2.0% · 163
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for You
You 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
#6,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,234
+1,988 bearers (+61.2%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Up 2,752 places
2020
#4,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,344
+3,110 bearers (+59.4%)
Per 100,000 2.79
Rank movement Up 2,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,238 | 3,246 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,486 | 5,234 | 1.77 | +1,988 bearers (+61.2%) | Up 2,752 places |
| 2020 | #4,128 | 8,344 | 2.79 | +3,110 bearers (+59.4%) | Up 2,358 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 You 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 | #6,486 | #4,128 | 36.4% |
| Count | 5,234 | 8,344 | 59.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 2.79 | 57.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of You bearers went from 5,234 to 8,344 (+59.4% change). The surname moved up 2,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,486 to #4,128.
FAQ
You surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname You?
Name Census estimates that about 9,568 living Americans carry the surname You. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,823 residents.
How common is You?
You ranks #4,128 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.79 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 8,344 people with the surname You. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,568), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.79 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 You.
Has You become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname You went from 5,234 recorded bearers to 8,344. That is an increase of 3,110 (+59.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,486 to #4,128.
What does the Census say about the background of You?
Among Census respondents with the surname You, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.2%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 You in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.2% (6,444 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
You appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.2%), White (15.7%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 You (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 You mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "excellent" or "superior," or referring to a person from the ancient state of You. 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 You (2.79 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 last name You?
You can see how many people have the last name You on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.