2000
#5,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,797
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.15
Uncommon Last name
Feng
A Chinese surname meaning "abundant" or "plentiful," often referring to a harvest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,757 Americans carry the last name Feng. That puts it at #2,163 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feng 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 Feng with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,273
Census rank
#2,163
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,357 bearers of the surname Feng in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2163rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feng
Among Census respondents with the surname Feng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Feng 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 Feng surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.2% · 15,729
- White2.1% · 346
- Two or more races0.9% · 146
- Black or African American0.4% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feng
Feng 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
#3,351
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,687
+4,890 bearers (+84.4%)
Per 100,000 3.62
Rank movement Up 2,161 places
2020
#2,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,357
+5,670 bearers (+53.1%)
Per 100,000 5.47
Rank movement Up 1,188 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,512 | 5,797 | 2.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,351 | 10,687 | 3.62 | +4,890 bearers (+84.4%) | Up 2,161 places |
| 2020 | #2,163 | 16,357 | 5.47 | +5,670 bearers (+53.1%) | Up 1,188 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 Feng 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 | #3,351 | #2,163 | 35.5% |
| Count | 10,687 | 16,357 | 53.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.62 | 5.47 | 51.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feng bearers went from 10,687 to 16,357 (+53.1% change). The surname moved up 1,188 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,351 to #2,163.
FAQ
Feng surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feng?
Name Census estimates that about 18,757 living Americans carry the surname Feng. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,273 residents.
How common is Feng?
Feng ranks #2,163 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,357 people with the surname Feng. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,757), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Feng.
Has Feng become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feng went from 10,687 recorded bearers to 16,357. That is an increase of 5,670 (+53.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,351 to #2,163.
What does the Census say about the background of Feng?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Feng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (15,729 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feng appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.2%), White (2.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Feng (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 Feng mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "abundant" or "plentiful," often referring to a harvest. 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 Feng (5.47 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 surname Feng?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.