2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Chindavong
A Thai surname meaning "beautiful rainbow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 146 Americans carry the last name Chindavong. That puts it at #136,807 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,347,632 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chindavong 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
146
1 in 2,347,632
Census rank
#136,807
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
127
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 127 bearers of the surname Chindavong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136807th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chindavong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chindavong
The surname Chindavong originated from Laos, a country in Southeast Asia. It is a Lao name that can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Lao words "chin" meaning gold and "davong" meaning field or plain, suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been involved in gold mining or lived in an area known for its gold fields.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chindavong can be found in the "Nithan Khun Borom," a historical text written in the late 16th century, which mentions a person named Chindavong who was a high-ranking official during the reign of King Photisarath (1520-1551) in the Kingdom of Lan Xang.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Chindavong Kumman served as the governor of the Vientiane region under King Souligna Vongsa (1638-1694). He is credited with overseeing the construction of several significant Buddhist temples and monuments in the area.
During the 19th century, a notable person named Chindavong Chantharath (1810-1888) was a respected scholar and author who wrote extensively about Lao history, literature, and culture. His works are considered invaluable resources for understanding the traditions and heritage of the Lao people.
Another distinguished individual with the surname Chindavong was Kham Chindavong (1875-1942), a influential political figure who played a crucial role in the struggle for Lao independence from French colonial rule in the early 20th century. He was a prominent leader of the Lao Patriotic Movement and advocated for the preservation of Lao culture and identity.
In the late 20th century, Kaysone Chindavong (1925-1992) was a prominent Lao politician and revolutionary who served as the President of Laos from 1975 until his death in 1992. He played a significant role in the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chindavong
Among Census respondents with the surname Chindavong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Chindavong 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 Chindavong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.3% · 121
- White2.4% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chindavong
Chindavong 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+17 bearers (+16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,581 places
2020
#136,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+5 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 520 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.2%) | Up 7,581 places |
| 2020 | #136,807 | 127 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.1%) | Up 520 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 Chindavong 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 | #137,327 | #136,807 | 0.4% |
| Count | 122 | 127 | 4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chindavong bearers went from 122 to 127 (+4.1% change). The surname moved up 520 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #136,807.
FAQ
Chindavong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chindavong?
Name Census estimates that about 146 living Americans carry the surname Chindavong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,347,632 residents.
How common is Chindavong?
Chindavong ranks #136,807 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 127 people with the surname Chindavong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (146), 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 Chindavong.
Has Chindavong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chindavong went from 122 recorded bearers to 127. That is an increase of 5 (+4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #137,327 to #136,807.
What does the Census say about the background of Chindavong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chindavong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Chindavong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chindavong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.3%), White (2.4%), Hispanic (1.6%). 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 Chindavong (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 Chindavong mean?
A Thai surname meaning "beautiful rainbow". 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 Chindavong (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 are called Chindavong?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Chindavong, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.