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

Jeong, 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 Jeong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jeong in America

Jeong is the 6315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jeong surname appeared 5,404 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Jeong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jeong 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 Jeong

The surname Jeong has its origins in Korea, dating back to the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392 AD). It is derived from the Korean word "jung," which means "middle" or "center." The name is believed to have been given to individuals who lived in the central regions of Korea or held positions in the central government.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Jeong surname can be found in the Goryeosa, a historical record of the Goryeo Dynasty. It references several prominent figures with the surname, including Jeong Inji (1396-1478), a renowned Confucian scholar and politician during the early Joseon Dynasty.

During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the Jeong clan rose to prominence, producing numerous scholars, officials, and military leaders. One notable figure was Jeong Dojeon (1342-1398), a highly respected Neo-Confucian scholar and prime minister during the reign of King Gongyang.

Another significant historical figure with the Jeong surname was Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836), a prominent scholar, philosopher, and reformer of the late Joseon period. He was renowned for his contributions to the Silhak (Practical Learning) movement, which sought to promote practical knowledge and reforms in various fields.

In the 20th century, Jeong Il-hyeong (1904-1986) was a prominent Korean independence activist and politician who played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence from Japanese colonial rule.

Jeong Yu-jeong (1974-present) is a contemporary Korean novelist and screenwriter, best known for her acclaimed novels "Seven Years of Night" and "If You Leave Me," which have been translated into multiple languages.

Throughout its history, the Jeong surname has been associated with various regions in Korea, including the provinces of Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeolla. It has also undergone various spelling variations, such as Jung, Chung, and Chong, reflecting regional dialects and romanization systems.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jeong

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

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 Jeong 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 Jeong 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 Jeong was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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