Find out how popular the last name Feng is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Feng.

Feng, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Feng surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feng in America

Feng is the 3351st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feng surname appeared 10,687 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Feng.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feng to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Feng

The surname Feng has its origins in China, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Chinese word 'feng,' which translates to 'wind' or 'prosperity.' The name is particularly prevalent in regions such as Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces.

Historically, the Feng surname can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where it was associated with nobility and scholars. Several notable individuals from this period bore the surname, including Feng Dao, a renowned poet and calligrapher.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Feng surname gained further prominence. Records from this era mention Feng Zhi, a prominent government official and military strategist who played a crucial role in defending the empire against foreign invaders.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Feng surname was well-represented among the literati and scholarly elite. One of the most notable figures from this period was Feng Yingjing, a scholar and writer who authored the influential work "Treatise on Food and Drink."

Moving forward to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), the Feng surname continued to be associated with academic and literary circles. Feng Guifen, a renowned scholar and poet, was born in 1809 and became a respected figure in the Qing court.

Another notable individual with the Feng surname was Feng Zikai (1898-1975), a renowned artist, writer, and philosopher who played a significant role in promoting traditional Chinese culture and values during the 20th century.

Throughout history, the Feng surname has also been associated with various place names and locales. For example, the city of Fengcheng in Jiangxi Province and the Fengxian District in Shanghai derive their names from the Feng surname, reflecting the influence and presence of this family lineage in those regions.

It is worth noting that while the Feng surname is primarily associated with China, it has also gained recognition in other parts of the world due to immigration and cultural exchange. However, the focus of this report remains on the historical and cultural significance of the Feng surname within the Chinese context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feng

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Feng.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Feng was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Feng has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Feng was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Feng, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!