2000
#2,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.13
Uncommon Last name
Chun
A Chinese surname meaning "spring" or referring to the season of spring, often indicating a new beginning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,785 Americans carry the last name Chun. That puts it at #2,727 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,183 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chun 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 Chun with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,183
Census rank
#2,727
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,893 bearers of the surname Chun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2727th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (8.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chun
The surname "CHUN" has its origins in Korea, with the name first appearing in historical records dating back to the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC - 935 AD). It is derived from the Korean word "chun," which means "spring" or "virtuous."
During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the name was frequently found in royal and aristocratic families. One notable example is Chun Yu, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 12th century. His writings and works were highly influential and are still studied today.
In the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the Chun surname was particularly prevalent in the Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces. Many Chun families held positions of power and influence in these regions. One of the most famous figures from this period was Chun Hee-jeong (1599-1680), a revered Confucian scholar and philosopher.
The Chun surname can also be traced back to the ancient Chinese character "春," which has the same meaning as the Korean word "chun." This suggests that the name may have originated from Chinese immigrants who settled in Korea during ancient times.
Records from the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties indicate that the Chun surname was often associated with certain place names. For instance, there were Chun clans from the regions of Yeongam, Gyeongju, and Haeju, among others. These regional affiliations helped distinguish different branches of the Chun family.
Notable individuals with the Chun surname throughout history include Chun Tae-il (1851-1921), a prominent educator and independence activist during the Japanese colonial period; Chun Doo-hwan (1931-2021), a former South Korean president and military dictator; and Chun Woo-hee (1959-), an acclaimed actress and film director.
While the exact origins of the Chun surname may be shrouded in ancient history, its enduring presence and significance in Korean culture and society are undeniable. The name has been carried by scholars, artists, politicians, and many other influential figures over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chun
Among Census respondents with the surname Chun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (8.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chun 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 Chun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.4% · 10,240
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 1,065
- Two or more races8.1% · 1,050
- White3.8% · 487
- Black or African American0.3% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chun
Chun 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
#2,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,141
+1,987 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 4.45
Rank movement Up 227 places
2020
#2,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,893
-248 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 4.31
Rank movement Up 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,967 | 11,154 | 4.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,740 | 13,141 | 4.45 | +1,987 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 227 places |
| 2020 | #2,727 | 12,893 | 4.31 | -248 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 13 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 Chun 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 | #2,740 | #2,727 | 0.5% |
| Count | 13,141 | 12,893 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.45 | 4.31 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chun bearers went from 13,141 to 12,893 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,740 to #2,727.
FAQ
Chun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chun?
Name Census estimates that about 14,785 living Americans carry the surname Chun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,183 residents.
How common is Chun?
Chun ranks #2,727 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,893 people with the surname Chun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,785), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Chun.
Has Chun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chun went from 13,141 recorded bearers to 12,893. That is a decrease of 248 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,740 to #2,727.
What does the Census say about the background of Chun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (8.1%). 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 Chun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (10,240 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.4%), Hispanic (8.3%), Two or More Races (8.1%). 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 Chun (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 Chun mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "spring" or referring to the season of spring, often indicating a new beginning. 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 Chun (4.31 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 Americans have the surname Chun?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.