Nong
A feminine Thai name meaning "younger sibling".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nong. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nong today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nong births was 1993 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nong. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nong. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1993
5 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1993 SSA rank
#9,741
Tracked since 1993
Census
Nong in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 319 people with the first name Nong, which placed it at #28,252 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#28,252
National first-name rank
People counted
319
319 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
95.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nong
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nong is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.6%) and White (1.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Nong described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Nong at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.9% · 306
- Two or more races1.6% · 5
- White1.3% · 4
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Popularity
Nong: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nong 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 Nong during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nong
The name Nong has its origins in the Thai language, which is a member of the Tai-Kadai language family spoken primarily in Thailand and parts of neighboring countries. The word "nong" in Thai means "younger sibling" or "little one," and it is often used as a term of endearment for children.
In Thai culture, the name Nong is commonly used as a nickname or a shortened form of a longer given name, particularly for younger children. It is a gender-neutral name that can be given to both boys and girls. The use of the name Nong can be traced back to ancient times in Thailand, where it was likely used as a way to affectionately address children within families and communities.
While the name Nong may not have a long and storied history in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been a part of Thai culture for centuries. Some historical references to individuals with the name Nong can be found in Thai literature and historical records, though specific details are scarce.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Nong can be found in the writings of King Rama II (1767-1824), who ruled the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) during the early 19th century. In his works, he mentioned a character named Nong, though the context and significance of this reference are unclear.
Throughout Thai history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Nong, though their fame and accomplishments may not have extended beyond the borders of Thailand. Here are five examples:
1. Nong Khai (birth and death years unknown) - A Thai folk hero and outlaw who lived during the late 19th century and was known for his daring exploits and defiance of authority.
2. Nong Prue (1904-1985) - A Thai writer and journalist who was influential in the development of modern Thai literature and journalism.
3. Nong Fah (1928-2011) - A Thai actress and singer who was a prominent figure in the Thai entertainment industry during the mid-20th century.
4. Nong Nooch (1920-2008) - A Thai businesswoman and philanthropist who founded the famous Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya, Thailand.
5. Nong Khamduan (birth and death years unknown) - A Thai folk singer and musician from the northeastern region of Thailand, known for her contributions to the Isaan folk music genre.
While the name Nong may not have a rich and extensive historical record, it is deeply rooted in Thai culture and has been used affectionately for generations as a term of endearment for children. Its simplicity and warmth reflect the importance of family and community in Thai society.
People
Nong + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nong as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nong: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nong?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nong 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Nong a common name?
We classify Nong as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nong most popular?
The single biggest year for Nong was 1993, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nong is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nong in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 319 people with the name Nong, or 0.11 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #28,252 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Nong in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Nong?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Nong on both sides of the split. Of the 320 people counted with this name, 147 were male (45.9%) and 173 were female (54.1%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Nong?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nong is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.6%) and White (1.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Nong most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Nong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (306 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nong in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nong a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nong 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.
Is Nong still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nong in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nong can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people are called Nong?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.