2000
#50,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Uncommon Last name
Gurung
A Nepali surname belonging to the Gurung ethnic group, originally from the Ganesh Himal mountains in Nepal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,477 Americans carry the last name Gurung. That puts it at #2,454 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,802 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gurung 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 Gurung with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 20,802
Census rank
#2,454
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,369 bearers of the surname Gurung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2454th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gurung
The surname Gurung is believed to have its origin in Nepal, where it is a prominent surname among the Gurung people, an ethnic group native to the hilly regions of central Nepal. The name is thought to derive from the Tibetan words "go-rung," meaning "proud of the cow."
The Gurung people have a rich cultural heritage that dates back centuries. Their name first appeared in ancient manuscripts and records from the medieval era, with some of the earliest known mentions found in Nepalese chronicles from the 14th and 15th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gurung was Sirijunga Gurung, a prominent military leader who served under the Nepalese king in the late 17th century. He played a key role in defending the kingdom against invasions and is celebrated in Nepalese history for his bravery and strategic prowess.
Another notable figure with the Gurung surname was Bhakti Thapa Gurung, a renowned poet and writer who lived during the 19th century. His works, which celebrated the Gurung culture and traditions, are considered significant contributions to Nepalese literature.
In the 20th century, Dhan Bahadur Gurung gained fame as a respected educator and social reformer. He dedicated his life to improving educational opportunities for the Gurung community and advocating for their rights and representation.
The name Gurung has also been associated with several prominent military figures. Dhan Singh Gurung, a highly decorated soldier, served in the British Indian Army during World War II and received numerous honors for his valor and leadership.
Bel Bahadur Gurung, another renowned military figure, was a Gurkha soldier who fought in both World Wars. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the British Empire, for his exceptional bravery and gallantry during the Battle of Sittang Bridge in World War II.
Throughout history, the Gurung surname has been closely tied to the Nepalese hills and mountains, reflecting the Gurung people's strong connection to their ancestral homeland. While variations in spelling and pronunciation may exist, the name's roots can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of this remarkable ethnic group.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gurung
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gurung 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 Gurung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.5% · 14,006
- Two or more races1.1% · 165
- White0.9% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 45
- Black or African American0.1% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gurung
Gurung 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
#9,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,450
+3,064 bearers (+793.8%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 41,374 places
2020
#2,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,369
+10,919 bearers (+316.5%)
Per 100,000 4.81
Rank movement Up 6,973 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,801 | 386 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,427 | 3,450 | 1.17 | +3,064 bearers (+793.8%) | Up 41,374 places |
| 2020 | #2,454 | 14,369 | 4.81 | +10,919 bearers (+316.5%) | Up 6,973 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 Gurung 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 | #9,427 | #2,454 | 74.0% |
| Count | 3,450 | 14,369 | 316.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 4.81 | 310.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gurung bearers went from 3,450 to 14,369 (+316.5% change). The surname moved up 6,973 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,427 to #2,454.
FAQ
Gurung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gurung?
Name Census estimates that about 16,477 living Americans carry the surname Gurung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,802 residents.
How common is Gurung?
Gurung ranks #2,454 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.81 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 14,369 people with the surname Gurung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.81 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 Gurung.
Has Gurung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gurung went from 3,450 recorded bearers to 14,369. That is an increase of 10,919 (+316.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,427 to #2,454.
What does the Census say about the background of Gurung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gurung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (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 Gurung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (14,006 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gurung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.5%), Two or More Races (1.1%), White (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 Gurung (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 Gurung mean?
A Nepali surname belonging to the Gurung ethnic group, originally from the Ganesh Himal mountains in Nepal. 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 Gurung (4.81 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 Gurung?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.