2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chanthavongsa
A Thai surname possibly meaning "celestial gold" or "golden moon".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Chanthavongsa. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chanthavongsa 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Chanthavongsa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chanthavongsa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and White (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chanthavongsa
The surname CHANTHAVONGSA originates from Laos, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is a Lao or Tai-Lao name, reflecting the ethnic and linguistic heritage of the region. The name likely emerged during the period of the Lane Xang Kingdom, which ruled over present-day Laos from the 14th to the 18th century.
CHANTHAVONGSA is believed to be derived from the Lao words "chan" (meaning moon or month) and "thavongsa" (meaning royal or noble). This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals of noble or royal lineage within the Lao society of that era.
Historical records and manuscripts from the Lane Xang Kingdom are scarce, making it difficult to pinpoint the earliest appearances of the name CHANTHAVONGSA. However, some accounts suggest that it was a prominent name among the ruling class and nobility during the height of the kingdom's power in the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname CHANTHAVONGSA was Chao Chanthavongsa, a Lao prince who lived in the late 16th century. He was a member of the royal family and served as a military commander during the reign of King Setthathirath.
Another notable figure was Phra Chanthavongsa, a Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 17th century. He was renowned for his contributions to Lao literature and his translations of Buddhist texts from Pali into the Lao language.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual named Chanthavongsa Phoummarath held the position of Chao Muang (Governor) of the Luang Prabang region, which was then a tributary state of the Kingdom of Siam (modern-day Thailand). He played a significant role in maintaining the autonomy and cultural traditions of his region.
During the French colonial period in Laos, which lasted from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century, several members of the Chanthavongsa family held positions of authority and influence. One such figure was Chanthavongsa Sithi-Amorn (1879-1952), who served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Luang Prabang from 1946 to 1949.
In modern times, a notable individual bearing the surname CHANTHAVONGSA is Phao Chanthavongsa (born 1952), a Lao politician and diplomat. He served as the Vice President of Laos from 2001 to 2006 and has held various other government positions throughout his career.
While the name CHANTHAVONGSA is most commonly associated with Laos and the Lao ethnic group, it is also found among Lao communities in neighboring countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and parts of Vietnam, reflecting the historical migration and cultural influences in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chanthavongsa
Among Census respondents with the surname Chanthavongsa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and White (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Chanthavongsa 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 Chanthavongsa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.6% · 99
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- White4.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chanthavongsa
Chanthavongsa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,064 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 7,064 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 Chanthavongsa 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 | #140,157 | #147,221 | -5.0% |
| Count | 119 | 113 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chanthavongsa bearers went from 119 to 113 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 7,064 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #147,221.
FAQ
Chanthavongsa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chanthavongsa?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Chanthavongsa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Chanthavongsa?
Chanthavongsa ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Chanthavongsa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Chanthavongsa.
Has Chanthavongsa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chanthavongsa went from 119 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Chanthavongsa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chanthavongsa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and White (4.4%). 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 Chanthavongsa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chanthavongsa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.6%), Two or More Races (7.1%), White (4.4%). 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 Chanthavongsa (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 Chanthavongsa mean?
A Thai surname possibly meaning "celestial gold" or "golden moon". 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 Chanthavongsa (0.04 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 many people have the last name Chanthavongsa?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Chanthavongsa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.