Explore the Family Name No
The meaning of No
1. Korean: there are three Chinese characters for the No surname, one of which is very rare. Between the three characters, there are a total of sixteen clans. All of the clans are descended from founding ancestors from China. One of the founding ancestors, No Su, migrated from China in 755 and brought with him his nine sons. Each of his sons went on to found another clan. No is a very common surname in Korea, and is found throughout the peninsula. Compare Noh 1 and Ro. 2. Japanese (Nō): written 能 ‘ability’. It is found in the Ryūkyūan island of Amami. History: Roh Tae-woo (1932–2021), a former president of the Republic of Korea, belongs to one of the No clans. Some characteristic forenames: Korean Sung, Chae, Jong, Song, Yong, Hong, Hyo, Hyo Sun, Jae, Kun, Kyong, Kyoung, Chong, Chang, Dae, Chong Kun, Chong Sik, Inho, Insoo, Jae In, Jae Yoon, Jeong, Jin Sung, Jong Hwan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name No in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "No" has slightly declined over a decade. In 2000, the surname was ranked 15,731st in terms of prevalence and was almost twice as common as it was in 2010 when it was ranked 19,907th. The actual count of individuals bearing the surname also decreased from 1,704 in 2000 to 1,349 in 2010, signifying a drop of approximately 21%. The proportion per 100,000 people dropped by nearly 27% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,731 | #19,907 | -26.55% |
| Count | 1,704 | 1,349 | -20.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.63 | 0.46 | -26.98% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name No
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "No" displays some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest group identifying with this surname was those of Asian or Pacific Islander ethnicity, growing from 69.01% in 2000 to 78.8% in 2010, a significant increase of over 14%. The percentage of individuals with the "No" surname who identified as White decreased by just over 15%, while Hispanic representation also fell by approximately 17%. Those identifying as Black showed the most dramatic decrease at over 65%, while the percentages for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native and those identifying with two or more races were suppressed in the 2010 data for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 69.01% | 78.8% | 14.19% |
| White | 17.31% | 14.68% | -15.19% |
| Hispanic | 3.76% | 3.11% | -17.29% |
| Black | 5.75% | 2% | -65.22% |
| Two or More Races | 3.76% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.41% | 0% | 0% |