2000
#870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,422
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.50
Uncommon Last name
Chung
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Zhong, meaning "bell" or "clock."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 50,607 Americans carry the last name Chung. That puts it at #766 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chung 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 Chung with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
51K
1 in 6,773
Census rank
#766
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
44K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 44,132 bearers of the surname Chung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 766th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and White (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chung
The surname Chung is of Chinese origin and can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) in ancient China. It is derived from the Chinese word "zhong," which means "middle" or "central." The name was originally used to refer to people who lived in the central regions of China.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chung can be found in the "Book of Han," a historical text that chronicles the Eastern Han Dynasty. The book mentions several individuals with the surname Chung who held important positions in the imperial court.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Chung surname became particularly prominent in the Shandong and Henan provinces of China. Many Chung families rose to prominence during this period, and several individuals with this surname held high-ranking positions in the imperial government.
In the 11th century, a notable Chung family established itself in the city of Hangzhou, which was then the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD). The Chung clan played a significant role in the cultural and political life of the city, and several members of the family were renowned scholars and officials.
One of the most famous historical figures with the surname Chung is Chung Ying (1461-1537), a renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher who lived during the Ming Dynasty. His works are highly regarded and can be found in numerous museums and collections around the world.
Another notable individual with the Chung surname is Chung Yao (1892-1981), a Chinese poet and playwright who was a prominent figure in the May Fourth Movement, a socio-political movement that sought to modernize Chinese culture and society.
In the 20th century, Chung Shan (1909-1984), a Chinese mathematician and educator, made significant contributions to the field of mathematics education in China. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern mathematics education in the country.
Chung Yu-jo (1928-2015) was a renowned Taiwanese novelist and essayist who was widely celebrated for his works that explored the complexities of modern Taiwanese society and culture.
The surname Chung has also been prominent in other parts of Asia. In Korea, the surname is romanized as Jung, and it has a long and distinguished history dating back to the ancient Korean kingdoms.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chung
Among Census respondents with the surname Chung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and White (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chung 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 Chung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.2% · 38,924
- Two or more races4.9% · 2,146
- White2.7% · 1,195
- Black or African American2.5% · 1,091
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 764
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chung
Chung 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
#805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,110
+6,688 bearers (+18.4%)
Per 100,000 14.61
Rank movement Up 65 places
2020
#766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,132
+1,022 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 14.76
Rank movement Up 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #870 | 36,422 | 13.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #805 | 43,110 | 14.61 | +6,688 bearers (+18.4%) | Up 65 places |
| 2020 | #766 | 44,132 | 14.76 | +1,022 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 39 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 Chung 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 | #805 | #766 | 4.8% |
| Count | 43,110 | 44,132 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 14.61 | 14.76 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chung bearers went from 43,110 to 44,132 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #805 to #766.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Chung
FAQ
Chung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chung?
Name Census estimates that about 50,607 living Americans carry the surname Chung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,773 residents.
How common is Chung?
Chung ranks #766 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 44,132 people with the surname Chung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (50,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname Chung.
Has Chung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chung went from 43,110 recorded bearers to 44,132. That is an increase of 1,022 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #805 to #766.
What does the Census say about the background of Chung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and White (2.7%). 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 Chung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (38,924 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%), White (2.7%). 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 Chung (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 Chung mean?
A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Zhong, meaning "bell" or "clock." 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 Chung (14.76 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 Chung?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Chung is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.