2000
#1,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,404
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.82
Uncommon Last name
Duong
A Vietnamese surname referring to a person living near a river, stream, or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 33,179 Americans carry the last name Duong. That puts it at #1,191 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,330 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duong 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 Duong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,330
Census rank
#1,191
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
29K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,934 bearers of the surname Duong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1191st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duong
The surname DUONG is believed to have originated in Vietnam, where it has been a common family name for centuries. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "duong," which means "path" or "road." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with those who lived along a particular road or path, or perhaps with those who worked as guides or travelers.
DUONG is a romanized spelling of the Vietnamese name, which is traditionally written using Chinese characters. In ancient times, the name was likely written using various Chinese characters that carried similar meanings related to paths or roads.
While specific historical records documenting the earliest uses of the name DUONG are scarce, it is believed to have been a prominent family name in Vietnam as early as the 11th century, during the Ly Dynasty. Some scholars suggest that the name may have originated even earlier, during the period of Chinese cultural influence in Vietnam before the nation gained independence.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname DUONG was Duong Van Nga, a prominent military commander who lived in the 13th century during the Tran Dynasty. He played a significant role in defending Vietnam against Mongol invasions and is celebrated as a national hero.
In the 15th century, Duong Nhat Le was a famous poet and scholar who contributed significantly to the development of Vietnamese literature and philosophy. His works, including the celebrated "Quy Du Trac" (The Journey to the West), have been widely studied and admired.
During the 17th century, Duong Quy Phi was a renowned female poet and concubine of Lord Nguyen Phuc Lan, a powerful ruler in southern Vietnam. Her poetry and literary works have been celebrated for their beauty and emotional depth.
In more recent history, Duong Van Minh was a prominent military leader who served as the last president of South Vietnam before the Fall of Saigon in 1975. He played a significant role in the Vietnam War and the eventual reunification of the country.
Another notable figure with the surname DUONG was Duong Thu Huong, a contemporary Vietnamese novelist and dissident. Her works, which often criticized the Vietnamese government, gained international recognition and earned her numerous literary awards.
Throughout its long history, the surname DUONG has been associated with various regions and communities within Vietnam, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the country over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duong
Among Census respondents with the surname Duong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Duong 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 Duong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.7% · 27,686
- Two or more races1.8% · 527
- White1.3% · 385
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 260
- Black or African American0.2% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duong
Duong 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
#1,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,870
+6,466 bearers (+35.1%)
Per 100,000 8.43
Rank movement Up 359 places
2020
#1,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,934
+4,064 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 9.68
Rank movement Up 240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,790 | 18,404 | 6.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,431 | 24,870 | 8.43 | +6,466 bearers (+35.1%) | Up 359 places |
| 2020 | #1,191 | 28,934 | 9.68 | +4,064 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 240 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 Duong 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 | #1,431 | #1,191 | 16.8% |
| Count | 24,870 | 28,934 | 16.3% |
| Per 100K | 8.43 | 9.68 | 14.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duong bearers went from 24,870 to 28,934 (+16.3% change). The surname moved up 240 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,431 to #1,191.
FAQ
Duong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duong?
Name Census estimates that about 33,179 living Americans carry the surname Duong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,330 residents.
How common is Duong?
Duong ranks #1,191 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,934 people with the surname Duong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (33,179), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Duong.
Has Duong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duong went from 24,870 recorded bearers to 28,934. That is an increase of 4,064 (+16.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,431 to #1,191.
What does the Census say about the background of Duong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and White (1.3%). 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 Duong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (27,686 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.7%), Two or More Races (1.8%), White (1.3%). 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 Duong (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 Duong mean?
A Vietnamese surname referring to a person living near a river, stream, or brook. 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 Duong (9.68 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 Duong?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Duong on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.