2000
#16,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,600
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Mun
A Chinese surname of uncertain meaning, possibly referring to the gate of a city or a high gate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,515 Americans carry the last name Mun. That puts it at #13,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mun 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 Mun with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,284
Census rank
#13,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,193 bearers of the surname Mun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mun
The surname Mun has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "mun," which means "hill" or "mound." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a prominent hill or mound.
The earliest known record of the name Mun can be found in the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the order of William the Conqueror. This ancient survey documented landowners and their properties throughout England, and it mentions individuals with the surname Mun in various counties, including Wiltshire and Somerset.
During the 13th century, the name Mun appeared in various spellings, such as "Munne," "Monne," and "Monne." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. Some early bearers of the name included John Mun, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1206, and William Mun, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.
One notable figure in history with the surname Mun was Thomas Mun (1571-1641), an English writer and economist who is considered one of the founders of modern economic theory. His work, "England's Treasure by Forraign Trade," published in 1664, advocated for the principles of mercantilism and influenced economic policies in England and other European nations.
Another prominent individual with the Mun surname was Sir Thomas Munro (1761-1827), a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Madras Presidency in British India. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of the Madras Presidency and his efforts to reform the land revenue system.
In the 16th century, the surname Mun was also associated with place names, such as Munfield in Hertfordshire and Mundesley in Norfolk. These place names may have been derived from the same Old English word "mun," suggesting that the surname could have originated from these locations.
Other notable bearers of the Mun surname include William Mun (1835-1920), an English clergyman and author, and George Mun (1908-1989), an American lawyer and jurist who served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Throughout its history, the surname Mun has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, economists, soldiers, administrators, clergymen, and jurists. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the diverse journeys and contributions of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mun
Among Census respondents with the surname Mun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mun 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 Mun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.6% · 1,987
- White3.8% · 84
- Two or more races2.4% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 40
- Black or African American1.3% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mun
Mun 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
#14,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,146
+546 bearers (+34.1%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 2,497 places
2020
#13,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,193
+47 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 729 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,535 | 1,600 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,038 | 2,146 | 0.73 | +546 bearers (+34.1%) | Up 2,497 places |
| 2020 | #13,309 | 2,193 | 0.73 | +47 bearers (+2.2%) | Up 729 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 Mun 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 | #14,038 | #13,309 | 5.2% |
| Count | 2,146 | 2,193 | 2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.73 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mun bearers went from 2,146 to 2,193 (+2.2% change). The surname moved up 729 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,038 to #13,309.
FAQ
Mun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mun?
Name Census estimates that about 2,515 living Americans carry the surname Mun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,284 residents.
How common is Mun?
Mun ranks #13,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,193 people with the surname Mun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Mun.
Has Mun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mun went from 2,146 recorded bearers to 2,193. That is an increase of 47 (+2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,038 to #13,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Mun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (1,987 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.6%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mun (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 Mun mean?
A Chinese surname of uncertain meaning, possibly referring to the gate of a city or a high gate. 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 Mun (0.73 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 Mun?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.