Find out how popular the last name Yuan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Yuan.

Yuan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Yuan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yuan in America

Yuan is the 4129th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yuan surname appeared 8,588 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Yuan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yuan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Yuan

The surname Yuan originated in China during the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled from 1271 to 1368 CE. It is derived from the Chinese word "yuan," which means "origin" or "source." The Yuan Dynasty was founded by Kublai Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan, and was the first foreign dynasty to rule over all of China.

The Yuan surname was initially associated with members of the imperial family and their descendants. However, over time, it became more widely adopted by people throughout the empire. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Yuan can be found in historical documents and records from the Yuan Dynasty period.

One of the earliest known figures with the surname Yuan was Yuan Shikai (1859-1916), a Chinese military leader and politician who briefly served as the first President of the Republic of China. He played a pivotal role in the Xinhai Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1912.

Another notable individual with the surname Yuan was Yuan Longping (1930-2021), a Chinese agricultural scientist and educator who was widely regarded as the "Father of Hybrid Rice." His groundbreaking research on hybrid rice varieties helped increase global food production and earned him numerous awards and honors.

Yuan Xiaoxian (1611-1672) was a Chinese painter and calligrapher during the early Qing Dynasty. He was renowned for his landscape paintings and his innovative techniques in combining calligraphy and painting.

Yuan Ye (1659-1721), also known as Yuan Mei, was a Chinese novelist, poet, and scholar during the Qing Dynasty. He is best known for his novel "Zi Bu Yu," which is considered a masterpiece of classical Chinese literature.

Yuan Shao (154-202 CE) was a prominent warlord and politician during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the Three Kingdoms period, and his descendants later adopted the surname Yuan.

While the surname Yuan has its origins in China, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty, a significant period in Chinese history that left an indelible mark on the country's cultural and linguistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yuan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Yuan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Yuan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Yuan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Yuan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Yuan, please contact us.

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