2000
#10,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,727
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Kung
A Chinese surname referring to a palace or an emperor's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,660 Americans carry the last name Kung. That puts it at #9,706 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,649 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kung 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 Kung with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,649
Census rank
#9,706
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,192 bearers of the surname Kung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9706th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kung
The surname Kung has its origins in China, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. The name is derived from the Chinese word "kung," which means "grandfather" or "venerable elder." It was likely initially used as a respectful address or title before becoming a hereditary family name.
In ancient Chinese texts and historical records, the name Kung can be found in various spellings and forms, including Gong, Gung, and Khung. One of the earliest known references to the name is in the "Zizhi Tongjian," a renowned historical work compiled during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), which mentions individuals with the surname Kung.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Kung family was particularly prominent, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. For instance, Kung Xian (1482-1568) was a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the Neo-Confucian movement.
Another celebrated figure with the surname Kung was Kung Zhida (1536-1573), a skilled military strategist and general who played a crucial role in suppressing the Nian Rebellion, a major peasant uprising during the late Ming period.
In the 17th century, Kung Xiangxi (1597-1662) was a prominent scholar and author who wrote extensively on Chinese history, literature, and philosophy. His works, such as the "Kungyulu" (Conversations of Master Kung), are considered valuable sources of information on the intellectual and cultural life of that era.
Moving forward, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) saw the rise of Kung Guanxi (1801-1875), a renowned scholar and educator who played a pivotal role in reforming the Chinese education system. He was instrumental in establishing modern schools and advocating for the incorporation of Western knowledge into the traditional Chinese curriculum.
It is worth noting that the surname Kung has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Kung County in Shandong Province and Kung Village in Henan Province. These place names often derive from the presence of Kung families in those regions or from historical events or figures associated with the surname.
Throughout history, the Kung surname has been carried by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including literature, philosophy, military strategy, education, and governance. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its deep-rooted connection to Chinese culture and history remains evident.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kung
Among Census respondents with the surname Kung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kung 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 Kung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.6% · 2,861
- White5.2% · 166
- Two or more races3.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 46
- Black or African American0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kung
Kung 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
#10,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,113
+386 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 392 places
2020
#9,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,192
+79 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,740 | 2,727 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,348 | 3,113 | 1.06 | +386 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 392 places |
| 2020 | #9,706 | 3,192 | 1.07 | +79 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 642 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 Kung 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 | #10,348 | #9,706 | 6.2% |
| Count | 3,113 | 3,192 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 1.07 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kung bearers went from 3,113 to 3,192 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 642 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,348 to #9,706.
FAQ
Kung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kung?
Name Census estimates that about 3,660 living Americans carry the surname Kung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,649 residents.
How common is Kung?
Kung ranks #9,706 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,192 people with the surname Kung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,660), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kung.
Has Kung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kung went from 3,113 recorded bearers to 3,192. That is an increase of 79 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,348 to #9,706.
What does the Census say about the background of Kung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Kung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (2,861 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.6%), White (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Kung (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 Kung mean?
A Chinese surname referring to a palace or an emperor's residence. 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 Kung (1.07 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 common is the surname Kung?
You can see how many people have the surname Kung on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.