2000
#1,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,977
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.52
Uncommon Last name
Lu
A Chinese surname meaning "deer" or referring to the ancient state of Lu in present-day Shandong province.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 53,824 Americans carry the last name Lu. That puts it at #717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,368 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lu 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 Lu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
54K
1 in 6,368
Census rank
#717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
47K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 46,937 bearers of the surname Lu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lu
The surname "Lu" originates from China and has a long and rich history dating back thousands of years. It is derived from the Chinese character "Lu," which means "deer" or "stag." This name was likely originally given to individuals who lived in areas with a significant deer population or those who worked as hunters or foresters.
The earliest known recorded instances of the surname "Lu" can be found in ancient Chinese genealogical records and historical texts from the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). During this time period, surnames were relatively rare, and the name "Lu" was often associated with aristocratic or noble families.
Throughout the centuries, the surname "Lu" has been carried by numerous notable individuals, including Lu Bu (c. 155–198 AD), a famous military general and warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Another prominent figure was Lu You (1125–1210 AD), a celebrated poet and essayist during the Southern Song Dynasty.
In the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the name "Lu" appeared in various official records and manuscripts, such as the "Jiu Tangshu" (Old Book of Tang), which documented the history and events of the dynasty. During this period, the surname was also associated with several prominent literary figures and scholars.
The name "Lu" has also been linked to various place names throughout China's history. For example, the city of Luzhou in Sichuan Province was originally known as "Lu County" during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). Similarly, the county of Lushui in Yunnan Province derives its name from the Chinese characters "Lu" and "shui" (water), indicating a connection to the surname and its potential origins.
Other notable individuals bearing the surname "Lu" include Lu Xun (1881–1936), a pioneering modern Chinese writer and literary critic; Lu Zhi (1496–1576), a renowned philosopher and Neo-Confucian scholar during the Ming Dynasty; and Lu Zhengxiang (1871–1949), a prominent military leader and statesman during the early 20th century.
While the surname "Lu" has evolved and spread throughout various regions of China over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to ancient times, reflecting the country's rich cultural heritage and the significance of surnames in Chinese society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lu
Among Census respondents with the surname Lu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lu 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 Lu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.1% · 44,633
- White2.2% · 1,047
- Two or more races1.5% · 687
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 348
- Black or African American0.5% · 213
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lu
Lu 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
#978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,628
+12,651 bearers (+55.1%)
Per 100,000 12.08
Rank movement Up 446 places
2020
#717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 46,937
+11,309 bearers (+31.7%)
Per 100,000 15.70
Rank movement Up 261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,424 | 22,977 | 8.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #978 | 35,628 | 12.08 | +12,651 bearers (+55.1%) | Up 446 places |
| 2020 | #717 | 46,937 | 15.70 | +11,309 bearers (+31.7%) | Up 261 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 Lu 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 | #978 | #717 | 26.7% |
| Count | 35,628 | 46,937 | 31.7% |
| Per 100K | 12.08 | 15.70 | 30.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lu bearers went from 35,628 to 46,937 (+31.7% change). The surname moved up 261 positions in the national ranking, going from #978 to #717.
FAQ
Lu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lu?
Name Census estimates that about 53,824 living Americans carry the surname Lu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,368 residents.
How common is Lu?
Lu ranks #717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 46,937 people with the surname Lu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (53,824), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Lu.
Has Lu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lu went from 35,628 recorded bearers to 46,937. That is an increase of 11,309 (+31.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #978 to #717.
What does the Census say about the background of Lu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Lu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (44,633 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.1%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Lu (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 Lu mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "deer" or referring to the ancient state of Lu in present-day Shandong province. 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 Lu (15.70 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 Lu?
You can see how many people have the surname Lu on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.