Pheng
An Asian name of uncertain meaning, likely of Lao or Thai origin.
Name Census estimates that about 422 living Americans carry the first name Pheng. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pheng today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pheng births was 1989 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pheng. 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
422
~ 1 in 812,214 Americans
Peak year
1989
31 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,530
Tracked since 1980
Census
Pheng in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,099 people with the first name Pheng, which placed it at #11,605 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
#11,605
National first-name rank
People counted
1.1K
1,099 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.4
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
97.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pheng
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pheng is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.4%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Pheng 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 Pheng at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.2% · 1,068
- White1.4% · 15
- Black or African American0.5% · 6
- Two or more races0.5% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 4
Popularity
Pheng: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pheng from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 204 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pheng 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 Pheng during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Phengs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Minnesota, Wisconsin recorded the most babies named Pheng, while Wisconsin, Minnesota, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 98 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pheng
The name Pheng has its origins in the Thai language and culture, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Thai word "pheng," which means "diamond" or "crystal." The name was likely given to children with the hope that they would possess qualities associated with these precious gems, such as beauty, strength, and resilience.
In ancient Thai folklore and literature, the name Pheng is often associated with characters known for their intelligence, wit, and wisdom. The earliest recorded use of the name can be traced back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which ruled over parts of modern-day Thailand from the 14th to the 18th century.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Pheng was a renowned Thai poet and scholar who lived during the reign of King Narai in the 17th century. His works were widely celebrated for their eloquence and profound insights into the human condition.
Another notable figure in Thai history with the name Pheng was a revered Buddhist monk who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his deep spiritual teachings and his efforts to promote education and literacy among the people. His teachings and writings continue to be studied and revered by Thai Buddhists to this day.
In the 19th century, a man named Pheng Bunnag served as a high-ranking government official and advisor to King Rama IV. He was highly respected for his wisdom, diplomacy, and dedication to public service.
During the 20th century, a famous Thai artist and sculptor named Pheng Amornvivat gained international recognition for his beautiful and intricate works of art. His sculptures can be found in museums and public spaces throughout Thailand and around the world.
Another notable individual with the name Pheng was a celebrated Thai chef and restaurateur who played a significant role in introducing and popularizing Thai cuisine to the West. His restaurant in New York City was considered one of the finest Thai dining establishments in the United States.
While the name Pheng may not be as common today as it once was, it continues to be a respected and meaningful name in Thai culture, representing qualities such as beauty, resilience, wisdom, and artistic expression.
People
Pheng + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pheng as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pheng: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pheng?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 422 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pheng 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 812,214 US residents.
Is Pheng a common name?
We classify Pheng as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 436 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pheng most popular?
The single biggest year for Pheng was 1989, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pheng is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Pheng in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 1,099 people with the name Pheng, or 0.36 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #11,605 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 Pheng 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 Pheng?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Pheng leans strongly male. 912 people counted with this name were male (82.7%), compared with 191 female bearers (17.3%). 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 Pheng?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pheng is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.4%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Pheng most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Pheng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (1,068 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 Pheng in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pheng a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pheng 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 Pheng still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pheng 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 Pheng 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 Americans are named Pheng?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.