2000
#8,733
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,463
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Rhee
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 李 (Li), meaning "plum tree" or "plum".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,669 Americans carry the last name Rhee. That puts it at #7,811 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,411 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rhee 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
4.7K
1 in 73,411
Census rank
#7,811
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,072 bearers of the surname Rhee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7811th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rhee
The surname Rhee has its origins in Korea, dating back several centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Korean word "ri," which means village or settlement. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a particular village or community.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Rhee can be found in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, a historical record that dates back to the 15th century. These annals documented the lives and achievements of various individuals, including those with the surname Rhee.
During the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century, there are records of a prominent scholar and official named Rhee Hyeon-jeong (1109-1187). He is known for his contributions to the development of Korean literature and his service as a high-ranking government official.
In the 16th century, there was a notable figure named Rhee Seong-gyu (1518-1599), who was a renowned Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher. His works had a significant influence on the intellectual discourse of his time and are still studied by scholars today.
During the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from the 14th to the 19th century, the Rhee family produced several notable figures. One such individual was Rhee Seung-hun (1491-1554), who served as a high-ranking military officer and played a crucial role in defending Korea against Japanese invasions.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Rhee was Syngman Rhee (1875-1965), who served as the first President of South Korea after the country gained independence from Japanese occupation in 1945. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the modern South Korean state.
Another notable figure with the surname Rhee was Rhee Seung-man (1907-1995), a renowned Korean linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of the Korean language and its grammar.
While the surname Rhee is predominantly found in Korea, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the Korean peninsula and its rich cultural and historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rhee
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rhee 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 Rhee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.9% · 3,659
- Two or more races5.0% · 205
- White4.0% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 31
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rhee
Rhee 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
#8,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,071
+608 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 592 places
2020
#7,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,072
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,733 | 3,463 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,141 | 4,071 | 1.38 | +608 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 592 places |
| 2020 | #7,811 | 4,072 | 1.36 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 330 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 Rhee 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 | #8,141 | #7,811 | 4.1% |
| Count | 4,071 | 4,072 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.36 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rhee bearers went from 4,071 to 4,072 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 330 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,141 to #7,811.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rhee
FAQ
Rhee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rhee?
Name Census estimates that about 4,669 living Americans carry the surname Rhee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,411 residents.
How common is Rhee?
Rhee ranks #7,811 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,072 people with the surname Rhee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,669), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Rhee.
Has Rhee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rhee went from 4,071 recorded bearers to 4,072. That is an increase of 1 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,141 to #7,811.
What does the Census say about the background of Rhee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rhee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (4.0%). 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 Rhee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (3,659 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rhee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%), White (4.0%). 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 Rhee (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 Rhee mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese character 李 (Li), meaning "plum tree" or "plum". 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 Rhee (1.36 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 Americans have the surname Rhee?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.