2000
#2,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,614
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.16
Uncommon Last name
Fong
A Chinese surname meaning "wind" or "abundant," originating from various regions in China.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,259 Americans carry the last name Fong. That puts it at #1,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fong 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 Fong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,919
Census rank
#1,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,667 bearers of the surname Fong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fong
The surname FONG is of Chinese origin and is believed to have its roots in the southern regions of China, particularly in the Cantonese-speaking areas. It is likely derived from the Chinese characters 方 (fong), which can mean "square" or "direction".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), where it appeared in historical records and manuscripts. During this time, it was often associated with scholars and officials from the southern provinces.
In the 13th century, the FONG surname was notably mentioned in the "Zizhi Tongjian" (资治通鉴), a prestigious historical work that documented the history of China from 403 BC to 959 AD. This reference solidified the presence of the name during that era.
As the centuries passed, the FONG surname spread across various regions of China, with some individuals bearing the name becoming prominent figures in their respective fields. One such individual was FONG Shao-yi (1636-1704), a renowned scholar and philosopher from Jiangxi Province during the Qing Dynasty.
In the 19th century, the FONG surname gained international recognition when FONG Tuck-Woh (1828-1914), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Guangdong Province, established successful trading companies in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Another notable figure was FONG Poy (1857-1919), a Chinese-American entrepreneur and community leader who played a significant role in the development of San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 19th century.
During the early 20th century, FONG Sec (1901-1971), a Chinese-American artist and writer, gained acclaim for his literary works and his contributions to promoting Chinese culture in the United States.
The FONG surname has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Fongshan District in Guangdong Province and Fongcheng County in Hebei Province, further solidifying its historical roots in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fong
Among Census respondents with the surname Fong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Fong 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 Fong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.7% · 13,899
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 1,365
- Two or more races7.4% · 1,307
- White5.1% · 894
- Black or African American1.1% · 200
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fong
Fong 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
#2,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,889
+1,275 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 6.06
Rank movement Down 16 places
2020
#1,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,667
-222 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 5.91
Rank movement Up 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,002 | 16,614 | 6.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,018 | 17,889 | 6.06 | +1,275 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 16 places |
| 2020 | #1,996 | 17,667 | 5.91 | -222 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 22 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 Fong 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 | #2,018 | #1,996 | 1.1% |
| Count | 17,889 | 17,667 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 6.06 | 5.91 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fong bearers went from 17,889 to 17,667 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,018 to #1,996.
FAQ
Fong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fong?
Name Census estimates that about 20,259 living Americans carry the surname Fong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,919 residents.
How common is Fong?
Fong ranks #1,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,667 people with the surname Fong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Fong.
Has Fong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fong went from 17,889 recorded bearers to 17,667. That is a decrease of 222 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,018 to #1,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Fong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Two or More Races (7.4%). 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 Fong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (13,899 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.7%), Hispanic (7.7%), Two or More Races (7.4%). 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 Fong (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 Fong mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "wind" or "abundant," originating from various regions in China. 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 Fong (5.91 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 Fong?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.