2000
#4,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,967
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.95
Rare Last name
Leong
A Chinese surname meaning "good, virtuous, beautiful" or referring to the region of Liang in ancient China.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,793 Americans carry the last name Leong. That puts it at #4,035 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,000 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leong 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 Leong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.8K
1 in 35,000
Census rank
#4,035
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,540 bearers of the surname Leong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4035th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and White (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leong
The surname LEONG has its origins in the Chinese language and culture, with its earliest roots traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in China. The name is believed to have originated from the Hokkien Chinese dialect, which was prevalent in the southern coastal regions of China, particularly in the areas of Fujian and Guangdong provinces.
During the Tang Dynasty, the name LEONG was likely derived from a combination of Chinese characters that represented a specific location, occupation, or personal characteristic. It is possible that the name was initially associated with a particular village, town, or region within the Hokkien-speaking areas of China.
Historical records from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD) indicate the presence of individuals bearing the surname LEONG. However, the earliest known documented mention of the name can be found in a genealogical record from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), which details the lineage of a family with the surname LEONG in the coastal region of Fujian Province.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Chinese immigrants from the Hokkien-speaking areas of Fujian and Guangdong provinces migrated to various parts of the world, including Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe. This migration played a significant role in the global spread and recognition of the LEONG surname.
One notable individual with the surname LEONG was Leong Hor Khee (1903-1983), a prominent Singaporean philanthropist and businessman who founded the Leong Hok Kin Group, a successful enterprise in the construction and real estate sectors. Another prominent figure was Leong Yew Koh (1925-2010), a Malaysian politician and the first elected governor of Malacca, who served from 1957 to 1959.
In the literary world, Leong Liew Geok (1939-2019) was a renowned Singaporean poet and playwright, known for her contributions to the development of Singaporean literature. Her works explored themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of the Chinese diaspora.
Leong Sze Hian (born 1956) is a Singaporean human rights activist and financial advisor who has been vocal about issues related to free speech and civil liberties in Singapore. His advocacy has brought international attention to human rights concerns in the country.
Leong Ka Tai (1928-2019) was a prominent Malaysian artist and sculptor, renowned for his contributions to the development of modern Malaysian art. His sculptures and installations can be found in public spaces throughout Malaysia, celebrating the country's cultural diversity and heritage.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname LEONG, reflecting the global reach and influence of this ancient Chinese name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leong
Among Census respondents with the surname Leong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and White (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Leong 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 Leong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.8% · 6,989
- Two or more races9.4% · 799
- White5.5% · 469
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 254
- Black or African American0.3% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leong
Leong 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
#3,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,094
+1,127 bearers (+14.1%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Up 217 places
2020
#4,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,540
-554 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.86
Rank movement Down 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,119 | 7,967 | 2.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,902 | 9,094 | 3.08 | +1,127 bearers (+14.1%) | Up 217 places |
| 2020 | #4,035 | 8,540 | 2.86 | -554 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 133 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 Leong 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 | #3,902 | #4,035 | -3.4% |
| Count | 9,094 | 8,540 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.08 | 2.86 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leong bearers went from 9,094 to 8,540 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,902 to #4,035.
FAQ
Leong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leong?
Name Census estimates that about 9,793 living Americans carry the surname Leong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,000 residents.
How common is Leong?
Leong ranks #4,035 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,540 people with the surname Leong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,793), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Leong.
Has Leong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leong went from 9,094 recorded bearers to 8,540. That is a decrease of 554 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,902 to #4,035.
What does the Census say about the background of Leong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and White (5.5%). 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 Leong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (6,989 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.8%), Two or More Races (9.4%), White (5.5%). 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 Leong (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 Leong mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "good, virtuous, beautiful" or referring to the region of Liang in ancient China. 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 Leong (2.86 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 last name Leong?
See how many people have the last name Leong on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.