2000
#1,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,017
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.90
Uncommon Last name
Hong
A Chinese surname meaning "vast" or "expansive," referring to the wild geese that fly across the sky.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 37,856 Americans carry the last name Hong. That puts it at #1,047 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hong 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 Hong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
38K
1 in 9,054
Census rank
#1,047
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
33K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,012 bearers of the surname Hong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1047th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hong
The surname HONG originated in China, with records of its use dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Chinese word "hong," which means "vast" or "great." The name was likely first adopted by families who lived in regions with vast landscapes or fertile lands.
In ancient China, surnames were often associated with specific regions or geographical features. The HONG surname is believed to have originated in the provinces of Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, where the name was particularly prevalent among noble families and scholars.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HONG surname can be found in the historical text "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian), written by Sima Qian during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). The text mentions several individuals with the surname HONG, including Hong Xiu, a renowned scholar and poet who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD - 220 AD).
Another notable figure in Chinese history with the HONG surname was Hong Xiuquan (1814 - 1864), a Hakka Christian who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty in the mid-19th century. This rebellion, which lasted from 1850 to 1864, was one of the bloodiest civil wars in human history and had a significant impact on Chinese society and politics.
In the realm of literature, the HONG surname is associated with Hong Sheng (1645 - 1704), a renowned poet and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty. His works, known for their elegance and simplicity, are celebrated as some of the finest examples of classical Chinese poetry.
The HONG surname has also been prominent in the field of Chinese medicine. Hong Zicheng (1618 - 1662) was a renowned physician and author of the influential medical text "Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng" (Guiding Principles for Diagnosing and Treating Diseases), which became a standard reference work in traditional Chinese medicine.
Another notable figure with the HONG surname was Hong Rengan (1822 - 1864), a scholar and reformist who played a significant role in the Self-Strengthening Movement of the late Qing Dynasty. He advocated for the adoption of Western technology and ideas to modernize China and strengthen its position against foreign powers.
While the HONG surname has its roots in ancient China, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in Chinese culture and tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hong
Among Census respondents with the surname Hong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Hong 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 Hong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.8% · 30,321
- White3.5% · 1,145
- Two or more races2.9% · 957
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 412
- Black or African American0.5% · 165
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hong
Hong 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
#1,106
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,670
+7,653 bearers (+31.9%)
Per 100,000 10.74
Rank movement Up 246 places
2020
#1,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,012
+1,342 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 11.04
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,352 | 24,017 | 8.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,106 | 31,670 | 10.74 | +7,653 bearers (+31.9%) | Up 246 places |
| 2020 | #1,047 | 33,012 | 11.04 | +1,342 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 59 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 Hong 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 | #1,106 | #1,047 | 5.3% |
| Count | 31,670 | 33,012 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 10.74 | 11.04 | 2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hong bearers went from 31,670 to 33,012 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,106 to #1,047.
FAQ
Hong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hong?
Name Census estimates that about 37,856 living Americans carry the surname Hong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,054 residents.
How common is Hong?
Hong ranks #1,047 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,012 people with the surname Hong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (37,856), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Hong.
Has Hong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hong went from 31,670 recorded bearers to 33,012. That is an increase of 1,342 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,106 to #1,047.
What does the Census say about the background of Hong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Hong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (30,321 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.8%), White (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Hong (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 Hong mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "vast" or "expansive," referring to the wild geese that fly across the sky. 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 Hong (11.04 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 Hong?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.