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

Zhu, 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 Zhu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zhu in America

Zhu is the 1694th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zhu surname appeared 21,265 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Zhu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zhu 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 Zhu

The surname ZHU originated in China, where it has been recorded for several centuries. It is derived from the Chinese word "zhu" which means "lord" or "master." The name likely originated as a title or honorific bestowed upon an individual of high social standing or a government official.

In Chinese historical records, the surname ZHU can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). During this period, the ZHU surname was prominent among the aristocracy and scholar-officials. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Zhu Qiqian, a renowned scholar and calligrapher who lived during the late Tang Dynasty (859-907 AD).

The surname gained further prominence during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), when many ZHU families held influential positions in the imperial court and bureaucracy. One notable figure from this period was Zhu Xi (1130-1200 AD), a Confucian philosopher and scholar who played a significant role in reviving and interpreting Confucian teachings.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the ZHU surname reached its zenith of prominence as the imperial family adopted it. The founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398 AD), was a former Buddhist monk who rose to power and established the ZHU family as the ruling dynasty.

Another influential figure with the ZHU surname was Zhu Di (1360-1424 AD), the fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who was known for his patronage of the arts and his ambitious construction projects, including the Forbidden City in Beijing.

In the modern era, the ZHU surname has continued to be widely represented in various fields. One notable individual was Zhu De (1886-1976 AD), a prominent Chinese communist military leader and one of the founders of the People's Republic of China.

Overall, the surname ZHU has a rich and illustrious history in China, spanning several dynasties and producing numerous influential scholars, philosophers, and political leaders throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zhu

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

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

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

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