Chau

How common is the last name Chau?

About this name

We do not yet have a written origin for Chau, so here is what the census records show.

Surname origins are rarely settled, and we would rather say nothing than guess. The sources below are the best places to look, and our guide to how surnames began explains the usual types.

Names nearby in the census

#2,181

Chau was the 2,181st most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 16,667 people, about 5.4 in every 100,000.

Who carries it

White (non-Hispanic)1.6%
Hispanic or Latino1.9%
Black (non-Hispanic)<0.1%
Asian or Pacific Islander94.4%
Two or more races1.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native<0.1%

Check the sources

Forebears: where Chau is found around the world
The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here

For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.