2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Namgung
A Korean surname often associated with ancient aristocratic families.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Namgung. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Namgung 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Namgung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Namgung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and White (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Namgung
The surname NAMGUNG has its origins in Korea, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Korean word "nam," meaning "south," and "gung," meaning "province" or "region." This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals or families who hailed from southern regions of the Korean peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded references to the NAMGUNG surname can be found in the Goryeo Dynasty annals, which spanned from 918 to 1392 CE. These historical documents mention several prominent figures bearing this surname, indicating its established presence during that time.
In the late 14th century, a scholar and government official named NAMGUNG Gon (1320-1392) gained recognition for his contributions to the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty, which succeeded the Goryeo Dynasty. His writings and political influence left a lasting impact on Korean society.
During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), the NAMGUNG surname continued to be associated with scholars, officials, and influential families. One notable figure was NAMGUNG Won (1577-1626), a renowned Confucian scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to Neo-Confucian thought in Korea.
In the 19th century, NAMGUNG Hyeon (1820-1898) was a prominent scholar and calligrapher who played a crucial role in preserving and promoting traditional Korean arts and culture during a period of modernization and foreign influences.
Moving into the early 20th century, NAMGUNG Eok (1863-1939) was a prominent educator and independence activist who fought against Japanese colonial rule in Korea. His efforts and advocacy for Korean independence left a lasting legacy.
Throughout its history, the NAMGUNG surname has been associated with various regions and place names in Korea, reflecting the geographical roots of different branches of the family. However, the exact origins and connections to specific locations remain a subject of ongoing research and interpretation by historians and genealogists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Namgung
Among Census respondents with the surname Namgung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and White (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Namgung 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 Namgung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.3% · 97
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- White1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Namgung
Namgung appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,317 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 Namgung 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 | #154,907 | #153,590 | 0.9% |
| Count | 105 | 104 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Namgung bearers went from 105 to 104 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,317 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #153,590.
FAQ
Namgung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Namgung?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Namgung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Namgung?
Namgung ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Namgung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Namgung.
Has Namgung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Namgung went from 105 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Namgung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Namgung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and White (1.9%). 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 Namgung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Namgung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.3%), Black (2.9%), White (1.9%). 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 Namgung (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 Namgung mean?
A Korean surname often associated with ancient aristocratic families. 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 Namgung (0.03 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 are called Namgung?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Namgung on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.