Explore the Family Name Qing

The meaning of Qing

Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 慶, meaning ‘celebrate’ in Chinese: (i) from Qing Ke (慶克), style name of a grandson of the Duke Huan of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 643 BC) (ii) said to be traced back to Qing Fu (慶輔), an official during the reign of the king Cheng Tang, founder of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (iii) from the first element of Qing-Fu (慶父), style name of a son of the Duke Huan of Lu (the 15th ruler of the state of Lu, died 694 BC). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 卿, meaning ‘gentleman minister’ in ancient China: borne by the descendants of gentleman ministers (named Qing (卿)) during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 青, meaning ‘green’ in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Qing Yang (青陽), clan name of one son of the legendary emperor Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). (ii) from the first element of the placename Qin Qiu (青丘), the name of a fief (located in present-day Shandong province) granted to an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) shortened form of the compound Chinese surname Qing Wu (青烏) adopted by the descendants of Qing Wu Zi (青烏子), said to be a mathematician during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). (iv) a surname from the Tangut and Di ethnic groups in ancient northwestern China. 4. Mandarin form of the surname 清, meaning ‘clear’ in Chinese: (i) from Qing (清), the name of a fief (located in Shanxi province) granted to an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).(ii) from Qing (清), the name of an ancient state (possibly located in Shandong province).

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Qing has seen growth in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Qing ranked 146,011th in terms of popularity but jumped to 89,069th by 2010, marking a significant increase of 39%. Furthermore, there was a doubling in the count of individuals with the surname from 104 in 2000 to 208 in 2010, representing a 100% increase. This means that for every 100,000 people, there were 0.04 individuals named Qing in 2000 while this number increased to 0.07 in 2010, indicating a 75% rise.

20002010Change
Rank#146,011#89,06939%
Count104208100%
Proportion per 100k0.040.0775%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Qing

When it comes to ethnic identity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Qing is predominantly held by individuals who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, 98.08% of individuals with the surname Qing identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, although this decreased slightly to 96.63% in 2010. There were no recorded incidences of this surname among those who identified as having two or more races, White, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian/Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander98.08%96.63%-1.48%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
White0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%