2000
#778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.98
Uncommon Last name
Ho
A Chinese surname meaning "river," or a Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname "Hú," meaning "lake" or "fox."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 63,681 Americans carry the last name Ho. That puts it at #591 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 18.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,382 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ho 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 Ho with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
64K
1 in 5,382
Census rank
#591
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
18.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
56K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 55,533 bearers of the surname Ho in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 18.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 591st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ho, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ho
The surname Ho has its origins in China, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC). It is believed to have originated from the ancient Chinese word 'ho', which means 'river' or 'stream'. The name may have been derived from people living near a river or stream, or it could have been an occupational name for someone who worked on or near a river.
During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the Ho surname appeared in various historical records and manuscripts. It was particularly prevalent in the regions of Guangdong and Fujian provinces, where many Ho families resided.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Ho surname can be found in the Tang Dynasty's 'Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government', a historical text that documented events from 959 to 976 AD. This work mentions several individuals with the Ho surname, including Ho Qingmu, a prominent scholar and official who lived from 915 to 982 AD.
Another notable figure in Chinese history with the Ho surname was Ho Qidan (1090–1153 AD), a celebrated painter and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty. His works were highly regarded and influenced the development of Chinese art.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), the Ho surname was prominent in various regions, including Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces. One of the most famous individuals from this era was Ho Qingyuan (1545–1617 AD), a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to Neo-Confucianism.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912 AD), the Ho surname continued to be widespread, particularly in the southern regions of China. One notable figure from this period was Ho Shen (1799–1873 AD), a prominent scholar and educator who played a significant role in reforming the imperial examination system.
Another influential individual with the Ho surname was Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969 AD), a Vietnamese revolutionary leader who led the struggle for independence from French colonial rule and later became the prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
While the Ho surname has its roots in China, it has also been adopted by families in various other countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, where it has been adapted to local languages and spellings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ho
Among Census respondents with the surname Ho, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ho 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 Ho surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.7% · 51,484
- Two or more races3.4% · 1,894
- White2.3% · 1,291
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 698
- Black or African American0.3% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ho
Ho 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
#691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 49,817
+9,404 bearers (+23.3%)
Per 100,000 16.89
Rank movement Up 87 places
2020
#591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 55,533
+5,716 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 18.58
Rank movement Up 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #778 | 40,413 | 14.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #691 | 49,817 | 16.89 | +9,404 bearers (+23.3%) | Up 87 places |
| 2020 | #591 | 55,533 | 18.58 | +5,716 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 100 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 Ho 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 | #691 | #591 | 14.5% |
| Count | 49,817 | 55,533 | 11.5% |
| Per 100K | 16.89 | 18.58 | 10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ho bearers went from 49,817 to 55,533 (+11.5% change). The surname moved up 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #691 to #591.
FAQ
Ho surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ho?
Name Census estimates that about 63,681 living Americans carry the surname Ho. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,382 residents.
How common is Ho?
Ho ranks #591 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 18.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 19 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 55,533 people with the surname Ho. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (63,681), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 18.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 18.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 19 of them to have the surname Ho.
Has Ho become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ho went from 49,817 recorded bearers to 55,533. That is an increase of 5,716 (+11.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #691 to #591.
What does the Census say about the background of Ho?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ho, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.3%). 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 Ho in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (51,484 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ho appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%), White (2.3%). 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 Ho (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 Ho mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "river," or a Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname "Hú," meaning "lake" or "fox." 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 Ho (18.58 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 are called Ho?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Ho on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.