Chung
A Chinese name meaning "loyalty", "completed", or "middle".
Name Census estimates that about 197 living Americans carry the first name Chung. It is a predominantly male name (94.7% of registrations). The average person named Chung today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chung births was 1982 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chung. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
197
~ 1 in 1,739,870 Americans
Peak year
1982
17 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1996 SSA rank
#9,244
Tracked since 1942
Gender
Gender distribution for Chung
Chung leans heavily male at 94.7% of total registrations, but 11 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Chung as a male name
- Ranked #9,244 in 1996
- 5 male births in 1996
- Peak: 1982 (17 births)
Chung as a female name
- Ranked #10,081 in 1987
- 6 female births in 1987
- Peak: 1987 (6 births)
Popularity
Chung: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chung from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 110 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1980s peak, Chung remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chung by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chung during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chungs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Chung
The name Chung has its origins in ancient China, and it is believed to have been derived from the Chinese word "zhong," which means "middle" or "central." This name was particularly popular during the Han Dynasty, which ruled China from 206 BC to 220 AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chung can be found in the classic Chinese philosophical text, the Analects of Confucius, which dates back to the 5th century BC. In this text, there is a reference to a person named Chung Yu, who was a disciple of Confucius.
During the Tang Dynasty, which ruled China from 618 to 907 AD, the name Chung was particularly popular among the aristocracy and scholar-officials. One notable figure from this period was Chung Yen (601-675 AD), a renowned Buddhist monk and calligrapher who played a significant role in the development of Chan Buddhism.
In the realm of literature, the name Chung is associated with the great Chinese poet and statesman, Chung Shan (1038-1101 AD), who was known for his poetic works and his contributions to the reformist policies of the Song Dynasty.
Another prominent figure in Chinese history who bore the name Chung was Chung Tzu (369-286 BC), a philosopher and logician who lived during the Warring States period. His teachings and writings influenced the development of Chinese philosophy and logic.
Chung Yao (1636-1713 AD) was a renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher who lived during the Qing Dynasty. He is known for his innovative techniques and his ability to capture the essence of nature in his works.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Chung, but there are many others who have contributed to various fields, including literature, art, philosophy, and religion.
People
Chung + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chung as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chung: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chung?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 197 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chung going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,739,870 US residents.
Is Chung a common name?
We classify Chung as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 209 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chung most popular?
The single biggest year for Chung was 1982, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chung is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chung a male name?
Yes, 94.7% of people registered as Chung in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.