Explore the Family Name Hau
The meaning of Hau
1. Vietnamese (Hầu): from the Chinese surname 侯, see Hou 1. 2. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 侯, 后 and 後, see Hou 1–3. 3. Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 郝 and 蒿, see Hao 1 and 2. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 胡, see Hu 1. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 緱, see Gou 3. 6. Burmese (Chin): from a name element originally forming part of a compound personal name, meaning ‘rich’. — Note: Since Chins do not have hereditary surnames, this name element was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 7. South German: topographic name from Middle High German hou (cognate with English hew), a measure of woodland, or a habitational name from any of several places so named. 8. French (Gascony): topographic name from a local form of Occitan fau (from Latin fagus) ‘beech tree’. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Chau, Duc, Hoang, Kien, Toan, Vuong, Boi, Chinh, Ha, Hai, Hoa, Hung. Chinese Tat, Chak, Chan, Chi Wing, Dong, Fook, Foong, Hon, Kwai, Ming, Sang, Shui.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hau in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hau has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked at 11,680 but jumped up to 9,093 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 22.15%. The count of individuals bearing the Hau surname also rose from 2,461 in 2000 to 3,592 in 2010, which is an impressive 45.96% increase. Consequently, the proportion of people with the Hau surname per 100,000 of the population increased by 34.07% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,680 | #9,093 | 22.15% |
| Count | 2,461 | 3,592 | 45.96% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.91 | 1.22 | 34.07% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hau
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity of individuals with the Hau surname. In 2000, 34.01% of people with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, but this proportion decreased marginally to 31.24% in 2010. The proportion identifying with two or more races also dropped from 2.40% to 1.92%. Meanwhile, the percentage of the Hau population identifying as White increased slightly from 47.58% to 49.33%. Hispanic representation within the Hau surname population also saw a notable rise from 4.39% to 6.21%. Those identifying as Black remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 11.13% to 11.00%, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native fell from 0.49% to 0.31%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 47.58% | 49.33% | 3.68% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 34.01% | 31.24% | -8.14% |
| Black | 11.13% | 11% | -1.17% |
| Hispanic | 4.39% | 6.21% | 41.46% |
| Two or More Races | 2.4% | 1.92% | -20% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.49% | 0.31% | -36.73% |