Huong
A Vietnamese feminine name meaning "fragrance" or "aroma".
Name Census estimates that about 546 living Americans carry the first name Huong. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Huong today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Huong births was 1982 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Huong. 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
546
~ 1 in 627,755 Americans
Peak year
1982
51 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2011 SSA rank
#17,795
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Huong: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Huong from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 344 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
Huong 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 Huong during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Huongs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Huong, while Louisiana, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 77 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Huong
The given name Huong has its origins in the Vietnamese language. It is a unisex name that has been in use for centuries within Vietnam and the surrounding regions influenced by Vietnamese culture.
Huong is derived from the Vietnamese word "huong" which means "fragrance" or "aroma." This connection to pleasant scents and fragrances likely stems from the importance of incense, flowers, and aromatic herbs in Vietnamese traditions and customs.
While the exact origins of the name are unclear, it is believed to have been in use as early as the 10th century during the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam. References to individuals named Huong can be found in ancient Vietnamese poetry and literature from this time period.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Huong is Huong Tram, a female poet who lived during the 13th century in what is now northern Vietnam. Her poetry, which often referenced nature and fragrant flowers, has been preserved and is still studied today.
Another notable historical figure with the name Huong was Huong Phi Hiep, a male military leader and strategist who lived in the 15th century during the Later Le Dynasty. He is credited with helping to repel Chinese invasions and is remembered for his tactical brilliance on the battlefield.
In the 16th century, there was a Buddhist monk named Huong Hai who was renowned for his wisdom and teachings. His writings on mindfulness and spirituality are still studied by Vietnamese Buddhists today.
During the 19th century, a female activist and writer named Huong Nhu Quynh used the pen name "Huong Tram" in honor of the famous 13th century poet. She advocated for women's rights and education in Vietnam and her works were influential in shaping modern Vietnamese literature.
Another notable individual with the name Huong was Huong Linh, a male artist and calligrapher who lived in the early 20th century. His intricate calligraphic works and ink paintings are highly regarded and can be found in museums throughout Vietnam and beyond.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Huong, a name that carries with it a rich cultural heritage and associations with fragrance, poetry, and artistic expression.
People
Huong + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Huong 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
Huong: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Huong?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 546 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Huong 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 627,755 US residents.
Is Huong a common name?
We classify Huong as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 578 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Huong most popular?
The single biggest year for Huong was 1982, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Huong is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Huong a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Huong in the SSA data are female. 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.