Hung
A Vietnamese masculine name meaning "great" or "flourishing".
Name Census estimates that about 979 living Americans carry the first name Hung. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hung today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hung births was 1982 (88 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hung. 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
979
~ 1 in 350,107 Americans
Peak year
1982
88 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,058
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Hung: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hung from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 506 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hung 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 Hung during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hungs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Hung, while Kansas, Louisiana, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 100 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hung
The name Hung has its origins in Chinese culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Chinese word "hong," which means "great" or "vast." This name was initially used to describe someone with grand ambitions or a broad perspective.
In ancient Chinese literature, the name Hung appears in various philosophical and historical texts. One notable example is the Analects of Confucius, where the philosopher mentions a person named Hung Ye, who was known for his wisdom and integrity.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hung can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC). During this period, it was common for members of the royal family and nobility to bear names that carried auspicious meanings, reflecting their status and aspirations.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Hung. One of the most famous is Hung Wu (1328–1398), the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He rose from humble beginnings to establish a new imperial dynasty that ruled China for nearly three centuries.
Another significant figure is Hung Hsiu-chuan (1814–1864), a prominent leader of the Taiping Rebellion, a major uprising against the Qing Dynasty in the mid-19th century. Although his rebellion was eventually suppressed, it left a lasting impact on Chinese society and politics.
In the realm of literature, Hung Lou Meng, also known as the Dream of the Red Chamber, is one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. It was written by Cao Xueqin (1715–1763) and is considered a masterpiece of fiction, providing a rich portrayal of 18th-century Chinese society.
Hung Ying-ming (1592–1668) was a renowned Chinese philosopher and writer during the Ming and Qing dynasties. He was a prominent figure in the School of Mind, a philosophical movement that emphasized the cultivation of one's inner moral character.
Finally, Hung Tzu-ch'eng (1593–1665) was a renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher during the Ming and Qing dynasties. His works were highly influential and are considered among the finest examples of traditional Chinese art.
These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who bore the name Hung, reflecting its long and rich heritage within Chinese culture and tradition.
People
Hung + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hung as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hung: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hung?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 979 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hung 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 350,107 US residents.
Is Hung a common name?
We classify Hung as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,018 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hung most popular?
The single biggest year for Hung was 1982, when 88 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hung is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hung a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hung 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.