2000
#3,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,324
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.83
Uncommon Last name
Zhao
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Zhao, meaning "to excel" or "to outdo others."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,692 Americans carry the last name Zhao. That puts it at #877 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,669 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zhao 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 Zhao with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
45K
1 in 7,669
Census rank
#877
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,974 bearers of the surname Zhao in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 877th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zhao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zhao
The surname "ZHAO" is an ancient Chinese family name that originated in the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC) of ancient China. It is believed to have derived from the name of a state called "Zhao" during the Warring States period (475 BC – 221 BC), located in the northern part of present-day Hebei Province.
The earliest recorded use of the surname "ZHAO" can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn period (771 BC – 476 BC) and the Warring States period in Chinese historical records. The name is mentioned in various ancient texts, such as the "Zuo Zhuan" (Commentary of Zuo) and the "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian) by Sima Qian.
One of the earliest notable historical figures bearing the surname "ZHAO" was Zhao Zheng (259 BC – 210 BC), also known as Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. He was the founder of the first unified Chinese empire and is known for his significant contributions to Chinese civilization, including the construction of the Great Wall of China and the standardization of the written script, currency, and measurements.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD), the "ZHAO" surname gained prominence with the rise of the Zhao clan, a powerful aristocratic family that produced several influential officials and military leaders. One notable figure from this period was Zhao Kuangyin (927 AD – 976 AD), also known as Emperor Taizu of Song, who founded the Song Dynasty and ruled from 960 AD to 976 AD.
Another prominent individual with the surname "ZHAO" was Zhao Ziyang (1919 – 2005), a former Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1980 to 1987. He played a significant role in reforming China's economy and implementing the "reform and opening-up" policies initiated by Deng Xiaoping.
Throughout history, the "ZHAO" surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Zhaoxian (a county in Hebei Province), Zhaoguzhuang (a town in Shandong Province), and Zhaocheng (a city in Shandong Province). Additionally, the surname has been spelled differently in various dialects and regions, such as "Chiu" in Cantonese and "Chou" in Hokkien.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zhao
Among Census respondents with the surname Zhao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Zhao 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 Zhao surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.6% · 37,662
- White2.2% · 855
- Two or more races0.5% · 188
- Black or African American0.4% · 163
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 97
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zhao
Zhao 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
#1,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,301
+11,977 bearers (+116.0%)
Per 100,000 7.56
Rank movement Up 1,574 places
2020
#877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,974
+16,673 bearers (+74.8%)
Per 100,000 13.04
Rank movement Up 736 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,187 | 10,324 | 3.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,613 | 22,301 | 7.56 | +11,977 bearers (+116.0%) | Up 1,574 places |
| 2020 | #877 | 38,974 | 13.04 | +16,673 bearers (+74.8%) | Up 736 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 Zhao 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 | #1,613 | #877 | 45.6% |
| Count | 22,301 | 38,974 | 74.8% |
| Per 100K | 7.56 | 13.04 | 72.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zhao bearers went from 22,301 to 38,974 (+74.8% change). The surname moved up 736 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,613 to #877.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Zhao
FAQ
Zhao surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zhao?
Name Census estimates that about 44,692 living Americans carry the surname Zhao. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,669 residents.
How common is Zhao?
Zhao ranks #877 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,974 people with the surname Zhao. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,692), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Zhao.
Has Zhao become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zhao went from 22,301 recorded bearers to 38,974. That is an increase of 16,673 (+74.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,613 to #877.
What does the Census say about the background of Zhao?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zhao, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (0.5%). 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 Zhao in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (37,662 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zhao appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.6%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (0.5%). 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 Zhao (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 Zhao mean?
A Chinese surname derived from the ancient state of Zhao, meaning "to excel" or "to outdo others." 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 Zhao (13.04 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 share the surname Zhao?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.