2000
#6,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,037
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.87
Rare Last name
Kwong
A Chinese surname meaning "broad, extensive, wide," or referring to a person from Guangdong or Guangxi provinces.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,356 Americans carry the last name Kwong. That puts it at #5,979 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 53,926 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kwong 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 Kwong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.4K
1 in 53,926
Census rank
#5,979
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,543 bearers of the surname Kwong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5979th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kwong
The surname Kwong originates from China and has its roots in the Cantonese dialect spoken in the Guangdong province. It is believed to have originated during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and is a transliteration of the Chinese characters 鄺 or 鍧.
Kwong is derived from the ancient Chinese word "Kuang", which means "bright" or "shining". This name was likely given to individuals who possessed qualities of brilliance, either in intellect or character. Alternatively, it may have been a reference to someone's physical appearance or occupation related to light or illumination.
Historical records indicate that the Kwong surname first appeared in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in the area around the city of Guangzhou, formerly known as Canton. During this period, the surname was also spelled as Kuang or Kwong, reflecting the variations in romanization.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kwong was Kwong Yuen-Shun, a renowned scholar and poet who lived during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). He is known for his influential work, "The Elegance of Kwong's Poetry", which was widely studied and admired.
Another notable figure was Kwong Tai-Fung, a successful merchant and philanthropist who lived in the late 18th century. He established several schools and charitable organizations in his hometown of Guangzhou, leaving a lasting legacy of generosity and dedication to education.
In the 19th century, Kwong Hing-Fatt, a skilled architect, designed and oversaw the construction of several iconic buildings in Hong Kong, including the Old Supreme Court Building and the Flagstaff House Museum. His contributions to the city's architecture are still celebrated today.
Kwong Wah-Yuen, a renowned calligrapher and artist, was active during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD). His intricate brushwork and mastery of traditional Chinese calligraphy earned him widespread acclaim, and his works are highly valued by collectors and museums.
Lastly, Kwong Ching-Lin, a prominent politician and diplomat, played a pivotal role in the negotiations that led to the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997. His efforts in maintaining stability and facilitating the transition of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China were widely recognized.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Kwong who have left their mark on history, spanning various fields such as literature, commerce, architecture, art, and diplomacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kwong
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kwong 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 Kwong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.9% · 5,149
- Two or more races3.4% · 190
- White2.1% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 72
- Black or African American0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kwong
Kwong 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
#6,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,637
+600 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Up 162 places
2020
#5,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,543
-94 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Up 105 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,246 | 5,037 | 1.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,084 | 5,637 | 1.91 | +600 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 162 places |
| 2020 | #5,979 | 5,543 | 1.85 | -94 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 105 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 Kwong 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 | #6,084 | #5,979 | 1.7% |
| Count | 5,637 | 5,543 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.85 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kwong bearers went from 5,637 to 5,543 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 105 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,084 to #5,979.
FAQ
Kwong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kwong?
Name Census estimates that about 6,356 living Americans carry the surname Kwong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 53,926 residents.
How common is Kwong?
Kwong ranks #5,979 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,543 people with the surname Kwong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,356), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kwong.
Has Kwong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kwong went from 5,637 recorded bearers to 5,543. That is a decrease of 94 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,084 to #5,979.
What does the Census say about the background of Kwong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kwong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and White (2.1%). 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 Kwong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (5,149 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kwong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%), White (2.1%). 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 Kwong (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 Kwong mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "broad, extensive, wide," or referring to a person from Guangdong or Guangxi provinces. 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 Kwong (1.85 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 Americans have the surname Kwong?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.