2000
#3,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.74
Uncommon Last name
Eng
A surname of Chinese origin meaning "eternal" or "forever," or an English occupational surname referring to a meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,039 Americans carry the last name Eng. That puts it at #3,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,470 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eng 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 Eng with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,470
Census rank
#3,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,499 bearers of the surname Eng in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.9%. The next largest groups are White (12.8%) and Two or More Races (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eng
The surname Eng is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "enge," meaning "meadow" or "pasture." It likely originated as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or pasture land.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Eng date back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Dorset. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Enge, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Enge, Engge, and Ing, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The name was also associated with several place names in England, such as Engelby in Lincolnshire and Ingleton in Yorkshire.
One notable historical figure with the surname Eng was Sir Robert Eng, a prominent landowner and military commander who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and served under King Edward IV during the conflict between the Houses of York and Lancaster.
In the 16th century, the surname Eng gained further recognition with the emergence of Robert Eng (c. 1510-1577), an English politician and Member of Parliament who represented Wiltshire in the Parliament of 1554-1555 during the reign of Queen Mary I.
Another notable bearer of the surname was John Eng (1591-1668), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Wootton Rivers in Wiltshire. He published several theological works, including "A Treatise on the Lord's Supper" in 1638.
In the 17th century, the surname Eng was also associated with William Eng (1620-1690), an English merchant and landowner from Somerset. He played a significant role in the local community and served as a Justice of the Peace.
As the centuries passed, the surname Eng continued to be found in various parts of England, with some bearers migrating to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eng
Among Census respondents with the surname Eng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.9%. The next largest groups are White (12.8%) and Two or More Races (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Eng 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 Eng surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander74.9% · 7,869
- White12.8% · 1,340
- Two or more races8.3% · 872
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 363
- Black or African American0.5% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eng
Eng 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
#3,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,682
+580 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 3.62
Rank movement Down 106 places
2020
#3,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,499
-183 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 3.51
Rank movement Up 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,246 | 10,102 | 3.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,352 | 10,682 | 3.62 | +580 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 106 places |
| 2020 | #3,348 | 10,499 | 3.51 | -183 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 4 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 Eng 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 | #3,352 | #3,348 | 0.1% |
| Count | 10,682 | 10,499 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.62 | 3.51 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eng bearers went from 10,682 to 10,499 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,352 to #3,348.
FAQ
Eng surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eng?
Name Census estimates that about 12,039 living Americans carry the surname Eng. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,470 residents.
How common is Eng?
Eng ranks #3,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.51 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 10,499 people with the surname Eng. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,039), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.51 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 Eng.
Has Eng become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eng went from 10,682 recorded bearers to 10,499. That is a decrease of 183 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,352 to #3,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Eng?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.9%. The next largest groups are White (12.8%) and Two or More Races (8.3%). 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 Eng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.9% (7,869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eng appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (74.9%), White (12.8%), Two or More Races (8.3%). 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 Eng (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 Eng mean?
A surname of Chinese origin meaning "eternal" or "forever," or an English occupational surname referring to a meadow. 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 Eng (3.51 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 share the surname Eng?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.