2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Choon
A variant of the Korean surname which originally referred to a skillful archer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Choon. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Choon 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Choon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Choon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and White (12.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Choon
The surname CHOON has its origins in the Korean peninsula, with records dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Korean word 'chun', which means 'spring' or 'pure'. This name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who was born in the spring season or had a pure and virtuous character.
Early records of the name CHOON can be found in historical documents from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) in Korea. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Choon Yeong-sik, a scholar and poet who lived during the 16th century. His works are preserved in various literary anthologies from that era.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Choon Hee-won played a significant role in the development of Korean traditional medicine. He authored several influential texts on herbal remedies and medical practices, which were widely studied and referenced for centuries.
During the 19th century, a renowned calligrapher named Choon Sang-byeok gained fame for his exceptional skill in the art of Korean calligraphy. His works are still admired and exhibited in art galleries across Korea.
Another prominent individual with the surname CHOON was Choon Byung-hee, a feminist activist and educator who lived from 1888 to 1960. She founded one of the first modern schools for women in Korea and fought for gender equality and women's rights.
In the early 20th century, Choon Kyung-hee, a political leader and activist, played a crucial role in the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonial rule. He spent many years in prison for his advocacy of Korean sovereignty.
While the surname CHOON is predominantly found in Korea, it has also spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, its historical roots and significance remain deeply rooted in Korean culture and tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Choon
Among Census respondents with the surname Choon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and White (12.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Choon 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 Choon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander53.5% · 61
- Black or African American19.3% · 22
- White12.3% · 14
- Two or more races10.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Choon
Choon 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+27 bearers (+24.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 14,020 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-25 bearers (-18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,699 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +27 bearers (+24.1%) | Up 14,020 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-18.0%) | Down 22,699 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 Choon 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 | #123,796 | #146,495 | -18.3% |
| Count | 139 | 114 | -18.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Choon bearers went from 139 to 114 (-18.0% change). The surname moved down 22,699 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #146,495.
FAQ
Choon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Choon?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Choon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Choon?
Choon ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Choon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Choon.
Has Choon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Choon went from 139 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 25 (-18.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Choon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Choon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 53.5%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and White (12.3%). 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 Choon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.5% (61 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Choon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (53.5%), Black (19.3%), White (12.3%). 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 Choon (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 Choon mean?
A variant of the Korean surname which originally referred to a skillful archer. 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 Choon (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 common is the surname Choon?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Choon, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.