Shong
A given name of Chinese origin meaning "to cultivate great virtue".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Shong. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shong today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shong births was 1988 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shong. 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 Shong. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1988
5 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1988 SSA rank
#8,326
Tracked since 1988
Census
Shong in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 158 people with the first name Shong, which placed it at #44,091 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
#44,091
National first-name rank
People counted
158
158 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
94.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shong
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shong is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Shong 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 Shong at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.9% · 150
- Black or African American1.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.3% · 2
- White0.6% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Popularity
Shong: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shong 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 Shong during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shong
The name Shong originates from the ancient Khmer language of Cambodia, dating back to the Angkorian period, which spanned from the 9th to the 15th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Khmer word "chhoung," meaning "to rise" or "to ascend," signifying growth, progress, and aspiration.
The earliest known reference to the name Shong can be traced back to the 12th century, where it was mentioned in the inscriptions found at the Angkor Wat temple complex. These inscriptions documented the lives of prominent figures and nobles who served under the Khmer Empire's rulers.
One of the most notable individuals bearing the name Shong was Shong Vishnukarma, a revered architect and engineer who lived during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Shong Vishnukarma's masterpiece was the iconic Angkor Wat temple, which is considered one of the most remarkable architectural achievements of the Khmer civilization.
Another prominent figure was Shong Krasang, a renowned philosopher and scholar who lived in the 14th century. Shong Krasang's writings on Khmer culture, religion, and philosophy were highly influential during his time and have been preserved to this day.
In the 16th century, Shong Vathana, a Khmer military leader, played a significant role in defending the Khmer kingdom against the encroaching Siamese (Thai) forces. His bravery and strategic prowess were celebrated in numerous accounts and poems from that era.
During the 19th century, Shong Neak, a revered Buddhist monk and scholar, gained recognition for his extensive knowledge of Khmer literature, history, and Buddhist teachings. His works contributed greatly to the preservation of Khmer cultural heritage during a time of significant upheaval and foreign influence.
While the name Shong may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a symbol of the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of the Khmer people. The name's association with ascension, growth, and aspiration continues to inspire individuals to strive for greatness and preserve the legacy of their ancestors.
People
Shong + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shong as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shong: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shong?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shong 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 Shong a common name?
We classify Shong 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 Shong most popular?
The single biggest year for Shong was 1988, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shong is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Shong in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 158 people with the name Shong, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #44,091 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 Shong 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 Shong?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Shong on both sides of the split. Of the 163 people counted with this name, 112 were male (68.7%) and 51 were female (31.3%). 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 Shong?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Shong is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Shong most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Shong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (150 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 Shong in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shong a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shong 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 Shong still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shong 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 Shong 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 Shong?
You can see how many Americans are named Shong on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.