2000
#34,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 626
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Rare Last name
Aung
A Burmese surname derived from the honorific title "Aung," indicating a person of high status or importance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,142 Americans carry the last name Aung. That puts it at #7,188 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,658 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aung surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Aung with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 66,658
Census rank
#7,188
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,484 bearers of the surname Aung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7188th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%) and White (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aung
The surname "AUNG" is of Burmese origin, originating from the country now known as Myanmar. It is believed to have emerged during the Bagan period, which spanned from the 9th to the 13th century AD. The name is thought to be derived from the Mon-Khmer word "aung," which translates to "spiritual leader" or "chieftain."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "AUNG" can be found in the Bagan era inscriptions, where it was used to refer to various rulers and dignitaries from that time period. The name was closely associated with the Buddhist traditions that flourished in the region during that era.
In the 16th century, a famous Burmese military leader named Aung Naing played a significant role in the unification of the Burmese kingdoms. His exploits and achievements are well documented in historical records, cementing the name's connection to leadership and military prowess.
Another notable figure bearing the surname "AUNG" was Aung San, a prominent Burmese independence activist and founder of the modern Burmese army. Born in 1915, Aung San played a pivotal role in liberating Burma from British colonial rule and is widely regarded as the father of Burmese independence.
Moving forward in history, the surname gained further recognition with Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Aung San and a renowned political activist. Born in 1945, Aung San Suu Kyi has been a leading figure in the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
Other notable individuals with the surname "AUNG" include Aung Thaung, a prominent Burmese writer and journalist from the early 20th century, and Aung Gyi, a revered Burmese artist and pioneer of modern Burmese painting, born in 1920.
While the name's origins can be traced back to the Bagan period, its presence in various historical records, manuscripts, and inscriptions throughout the centuries solidifies its place as a prominent Burmese surname with deep cultural and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aung
Among Census respondents with the surname Aung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%) and White (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Aung bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Aung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.5% · 4,374
- Two or more races0.9% · 41
- White0.8% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 27
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aung
Aung appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,175
+1,549 bearers (+247.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 20,375 places
2020
#7,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,484
+2,309 bearers (+106.2%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Up 6,696 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,259 | 626 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,884 | 2,175 | 0.74 | +1,549 bearers (+247.4%) | Up 20,375 places |
| 2020 | #7,188 | 4,484 | 1.50 | +2,309 bearers (+106.2%) | Up 6,696 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Aung surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,884 | #7,188 | 48.2% |
| Count | 2,175 | 4,484 | 106.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 1.50 | 102.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aung bearers went from 2,175 to 4,484 (+106.2% change). The surname moved up 6,696 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,884 to #7,188.
FAQ
Aung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aung?
Name Census estimates that about 5,142 living Americans carry the surname Aung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,658 residents.
How common is Aung?
Aung ranks #7,188 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,484 people with the surname Aung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Aung.
Has Aung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aung went from 2,175 recorded bearers to 4,484. That is an increase of 2,309 (+106.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,884 to #7,188.
What does the Census say about the background of Aung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%) and White (0.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (4,374 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.5%), Two or More Races (0.9%), White (0.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Aung (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Aung mean?
A Burmese surname derived from the honorific title "Aung," indicating a person of high status or importance. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Aung (1.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Aung?
See how many people have the surname Aung on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.