2000
#31,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 690
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Zhuang
A surname originating in China, possibly meaning "village" or related to a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,327 Americans carry the last name Zhuang. That puts it at #10,542 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,022 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zhuang 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.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,022
Census rank
#10,542
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,901 bearers of the surname Zhuang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10542nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zhuang, 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 Zhuang
Zhuang is a surname of Chinese origin, deeply rooted within the historical context of ancient China. The name Zhuang was first prominently associated with the regions around modern-day Guangdong and Guangxi, home to the Zhuang ethnic group. It is an old name, with its origins traceable to the time of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). Linguistically, the surname Zhuang is thought to derive from the Chinese character 壮, which means "strong" or "robust." This character became associated with the ethnic group's name and, subsequently, the surname.
Historical references to the surname Zhuang can be found in various ancient Chinese texts and documents. The Book of Zhou, a historical chronicle from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (AD 420-589), includes mentions of individuals from the Zhuang ethnic group, highlighting their contributions to local governance and military efforts. The Old Book of Tang, dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), also contains records featuring the Zhuang surname, emphasizing its long-standing presence in Chinese history.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Zhuang found in historical texts is Zhuang Qian, a notable figure during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. His leadership and military prowess were documented in various chronicles, establishing the Zhuang name in history. Another notable individual, Zhuang Daoxian, was a respected scholar during the Tang Dynasty, whose works contributed significantly to Chinese literature and philosophy. His teachings continue to be studied by scholars today.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), Zhuang JUYU, a key figure, emerged. He was an accomplished poet and government official whose works have been preserved in classical Chinese poetry collections. The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD) saw the emergence of another influential Zhuang, Zhuang Zhixi, who served as an important official and military strategist, further solidifying the name's historical relevance.
In more recent history, Zhuang Jiong was a notable personality during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China period. Born in 1874 and passing in 1942, Zhuang Jiong was a distinguished general who played crucial roles in various military campaigns and governmental reforms. His legacy is commemorated in numerous historical accounts and biographies.
The surname Zhuang continues to be recognized for its deep historical roots and the significant contributions of its bearers throughout Chinese history. From ancient times to modern history, individuals with the surname Zhuang have left their mark on diverse fields such as governance, literature, philosophy, and military strategy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zhuang
Among Census respondents with the surname Zhuang, 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 Zhuang 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 Zhuang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.6% · 2,801
- White2.2% · 64
- Two or more races0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zhuang
Zhuang 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
#18,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,513
+823 bearers (+119.3%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 13,341 places
2020
#10,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,901
+1,388 bearers (+91.7%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 7,775 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,658 | 690 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,317 | 1,513 | 0.51 | +823 bearers (+119.3%) | Up 13,341 places |
| 2020 | #10,542 | 2,901 | 0.97 | +1,388 bearers (+91.7%) | Up 7,775 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 Zhuang 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 | #18,317 | #10,542 | 42.4% |
| Count | 1,513 | 2,901 | 91.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.97 | 90.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zhuang bearers went from 1,513 to 2,901 (+91.7% change). The surname moved up 7,775 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,317 to #10,542.
FAQ
Zhuang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zhuang?
Name Census estimates that about 3,327 living Americans carry the surname Zhuang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,022 residents.
How common is Zhuang?
Zhuang ranks #10,542 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,901 people with the surname Zhuang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Zhuang.
Has Zhuang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zhuang went from 1,513 recorded bearers to 2,901. That is an increase of 1,388 (+91.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,317 to #10,542.
What does the Census say about the background of Zhuang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zhuang, 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 Zhuang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (2,801 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zhuang 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 Zhuang (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 Zhuang mean?
A surname originating in China, possibly meaning "village" or related to a place name. 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 Zhuang (0.97 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 Zhuang?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Zhuang on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.