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

Zhang, 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 Zhang surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zhang in America

Zhang is the 472nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zhang surname appeared 70,125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Zhang.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zhang 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 Zhang

The surname ZHANG originates from China and can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC). It is one of the most common surnames in mainland China and among Chinese communities worldwide. The name is derived from the Old Chinese word "Zhang," which means "stretch" or "extend," and was initially used as a descriptive surname for an individual's physical appearance or occupation.

ZHANG is a single-character surname, which was prevalent during the ancient Zhou Dynasty when single-character surnames were commonly used. The name has various Chinese characters, but the most common one is written as "张" in simplified Chinese and "張" in traditional Chinese.

Historical records indicate that the ZHANG surname can be found in ancient Chinese texts and documents, such as the "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian, a renowned historian from the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The text mentions several prominent figures with the surname ZHANG, including Zhang Liang (circa 250 BC), a renowned military strategist and advisor to the emperor.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the ZHANG surname can be found in the "Zuozhuan" (Commentary of Zuo), a historical text from the Spring and Autumn period (770 BC – 476 BC), which mentions a person named Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi was a nobleman from the state of Lu (present-day Shandong Province) who played a significant role in the political affairs of his time.

Throughout Chinese history, several notable individuals have borne the ZHANG surname. These include Zhang Zhuozhen (1670 – 1718), a renowned Qing Dynasty painter and calligrapher; Zhang Zhidong (1837 – 1909), a prominent statesman and reformist during the late Qing Dynasty; Zhang Xueliang (1901 – 2001), a powerful warlord and military leader in the early 20th century; Zhang Yimou (born 1950), an acclaimed film director known for his work in the Fifth Generation of Chinese cinema; and Zhang Ziyi (born 1979), an internationally renowned actress who has starred in numerous award-winning films.

The ZHANG surname has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Zhangzhou (a city in Fujian Province), Zhangjiajie (a famous scenic area in Hunan Province), and Zhangbei (a county in Hebei Province). These place names often derive from local historical figures or events related to individuals with the ZHANG surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zhang

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

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 Zhang 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 Zhang 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 Zhang was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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