2000
#188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136,095
First available Census row
Per 100,000 50.45
Common Last name
Tran
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Chen, meaning "old" or "ancient."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 256,224 Americans carry the last name Tran. That puts it at #101 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 74.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,338 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tran 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 Tran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
256K
1 in 1,338
Census rank
#101
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
74.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
223K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 223,440 bearers of the surname Tran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 74.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 101st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tran, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tran
The surname Tran originated from Vietnam, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty. It is believed to be derived from the Sino-Vietnamese word "Tran," meaning "bamboo curtain" or "bamboo screen."
Tran is a common Vietnamese surname, particularly in the northern regions of the country. In ancient times, it was often associated with royalty and nobility, as many members of the ruling Tran Dynasty (1225–1400) bore this surname.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Tran can be found in the Annals of Dai Viet, a historical text compiled during the Tran Dynasty. This work chronicles the reign of the Tran emperors and the battles they fought against the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.
During the Tran Dynasty, notable figures with this surname included Emperor Tran Nhan Tong (1258–1308), a renowned Buddhist scholar and military strategist, and Prince Tran Quoc Tuan (1291–1370), a prominent military commander who led the Vietnamese forces against the Mongol invasions.
In the 16th century, the Tran surname was also associated with the village of Tran Phu, located in the northern province of Hai Duong. This village was known for its skilled artisans and craftsmen, many of whom bore the Tran surname.
Another historical figure of note was Tran Hung Dao (1230–1300), a revered military leader and strategist who played a crucial role in the Vietnamese victory over the Mongol invasions. His brilliant tactics and leadership are celebrated in Vietnamese folklore and literature.
Tran Van Quang (1859–1935) was a prominent Vietnamese scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of the Vietnamese language and its romanization.
Throughout history, the Tran surname has been carried by many notable individuals, including writers, scholars, artists, and political leaders. Despite its long and rich history, the name remains strongly associated with its Vietnamese origins and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tran
Among Census respondents with the surname Tran, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tran 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 Tran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 213,064
- Two or more races2.0% · 4,404
- White1.5% · 3,338
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 2,140
- Black or African American0.2% · 441
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tran
Tran 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
#132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188,498
+52,403 bearers (+38.5%)
Per 100,000 63.90
Rank movement Up 56 places
2020
#101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223,440
+34,942 bearers (+18.5%)
Per 100,000 74.75
Rank movement Up 31 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #188 | 136,095 | 50.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132 | 188,498 | 63.90 | +52,403 bearers (+38.5%) | Up 56 places |
| 2020 | #101 | 223,440 | 74.75 | +34,942 bearers (+18.5%) | Up 31 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 Tran 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 | #132 | #101 | 23.5% |
| Count | 188,498 | 223,440 | 18.5% |
| Per 100K | 63.90 | 74.75 | 17.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tran bearers went from 188,498 to 223,440 (+18.5% change). The surname moved up 31 positions in the national ranking, going from #132 to #101.
FAQ
Tran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tran?
Name Census estimates that about 256,224 living Americans carry the surname Tran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,338 residents.
How common is Tran?
Tran ranks #101 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 74.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 75 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 223,440 people with the surname Tran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (256,224), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 74.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 74.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 75 of them to have the surname Tran.
Has Tran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tran went from 188,498 recorded bearers to 223,440. That is an increase of 34,942 (+18.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #132 to #101.
What does the Census say about the background of Tran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tran, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (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 Tran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (213,064 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), Two or More Races (2.0%), White (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 Tran (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 Tran mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Chen, meaning "old" or "ancient." 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 Tran (74.75 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 Tran?
Want to know how many people are called Tran? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.