Explore the Family Name Zhang

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Zhang has seen significant growth in popularity from 2000 to 2010. The rank of the name surged from 963 to 472, reflecting an increase of nearly 51%. In terms of frequency, the count of individuals with the surname Zhang more than doubled, growing by 111.21% from 33,202 to 70,125. This robust growth was also reflected in the proportion per 100k people, which saw an impressive rise by 93.1% from 12.31 to 23.77.

20002010Change
Rank#963#47250.99%
Count33,20270,125111.21%
Proportion per 100k12.3123.7793.1%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zhang

Examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Zhang, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, it's predominantly linked with the Asian/Pacific Islander group. Despite a minor decrease of 0.10%, this group still constituted 98.06% of the individuals with this surname in 2010. There were some changes observed among other ethnic identities as well. The percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races declined by 35.42%. The White category saw a substantial increase of 62.30%, albeit from a small base. The percentage of Hispanic individuals decreased slightly by 6.25%, while the Black category experienced considerable growth of 77.78%. The representation of the American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander98.16%98.06%-0.1%
White0.61%0.99%62.3%
Two or More Races0.96%0.62%-35.42%
Black0.09%0.16%77.78%
Hispanic0.16%0.15%-6.25%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.02%0.02%0%

Zhang ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Zhang is Chinese, which comprises 90.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Manchurian & Mongolian (3.9%) and Korean (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, French & German, British & Irish, and Central Asian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Chinese90.2%
Manchurian & Mongolian3.9%
Korean3.6%
Other2.3%
Zhang

Possible origins of the surname Zhang

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Zhang have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Fujian, China21.10%
Guangdong, China21.10%
Jiangsu, China21.10%
Zhejiang, China21.10%
Shandong, China21.10%

What Zhang haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Zhang is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F46 and O-CTS2498, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wang, Li, Chen, Liu, Sun, Chang, Wu, Zhao, Yang, Xu.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Zhang surname are: A4, F2, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

zhangPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese

Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Hmong-Mien

Haplogroup F is particularly common in populations of Hmong-Mien speakers, one of the major language families in East Asia. This group includes the Lahu, Hmong, Lao, and Mien of southern China and Southeast Asia. Many of these groups are considered ethnic minorities in their countries, including in China, Vietnam, and Thailand.During the Vietnam War, from 1953 to 1975, the United States Central Intelligence Agency recruited many of the Hmong, Lao, Mien, and Lahu to fight for American interests in Laos against the North Vietnamese and the Pathet Lao. When the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao gained control of the region, members of the ethnic groups recruited by the US were targeted, forcing many of the Hmong-Mien to flee the country. Many refugees resettled in the United States, especially in California and along the western seaboard.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Zhang have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Zhang

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Zhang" Surname 31.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Zhang

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Zhang" Surname 23.1%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Zhang

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Zhang" Surname 15.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Zhang

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Zhang" Surname 5.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Zhang?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Zhang are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

ε4 variant

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and personality changes. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, developing after age 65. Many factors, including genetics, can influence a person's chances of developing the condition. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the most common genetic variant associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease: the ε4 variant in the APOE gene. Learn more about Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Chinese 18.2%

23andMe Users 25.5%