Explore the Family Name Aw

The meaning of Aw

1. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 胡, possibly based on its Teochew or Hokkien pronunciation, see Hu 1. 2. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 歐 and 區, see Ou 1 and 2. 3. West African (Senegal and Mauritania): Tukulor name of unexplained etymology.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Aw in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Aw' has seen a substantial increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, its rank stood at 76,946 but climbed to 63,373 by 2010, representing a significant change of 17.64 percent. The count of individuals with this surname also surged from 232 in 2000 to 315 in 2010, marking an increase of 35.78 percent. Consequently, the proportion of people named 'Aw' per 100,000 individuals rose by 22.22 percent over the decade, from 0.09 to 0.11.

20002010Change
Rank#76,946#63,37317.64%
Count23231535.78%
Proportion per 100k0.090.1122.22%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Aw

In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows interesting shifts within the 'Aw' surname bearers. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation fell by 19.57 percent, moving from 75.00 percent in 2000 to 60.32 percent in 2010. While there was no representation of individuals identifying with two or more races in 2000, this category saw a slight rise in 2010, reaching 2.22 percent. The percentage of White individuals also decreased slightly, from 7.76 percent to 6.98 percent. However, there was significant growth in the Black community, rising from 15.52 percent to 28.89 percent, an impressive increase of 86.15 percent. Both Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories remained unchanged during the period.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander75%60.32%-19.57%
Black15.52%28.89%86.15%
White7.76%6.98%-10.05%
Two or More Races0%2.22%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%