Find out how popular the last name Ng is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ng.

Ng, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ng surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ng in America

Ng is the 1125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ng surname appeared 31,210 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Ng.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ng to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ng

The surname "Ng" is of Chinese origin, specifically from the Cantonese dialect. It is believed to have originated during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in the Guangdong province of southern China.

The name "Ng" is derived from the Chinese character "吴" (Wu), which was a prominent kingdom and cultural center during ancient times. The character "吴" was later simplified to "伍" (Ng) in Cantonese and became a common surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Ng" can be found in the "Qing Bai Lei Chao" (Collection of Surnames), a genealogical text compiled during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This text lists several variations of the surname, including "Ng," "Woo," and "Wu."

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the surname "Ng" was particularly concentrated in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong. Many individuals bearing this surname were recorded in local gazetteers and county annals from that time period.

Notable historical figures with the surname "Ng" include Ng Mui (c. 1670-1752), a legendary martial artist and one of the Five Elders who taught the Shaolin martial arts. Another prominent individual was Ng Choy Shing (1876-1944), a Chinese revolutionary and politician who played a significant role in the Guangdong uprising against the Qing Dynasty.

In the 19th century, the surname "Ng" began to spread beyond Guangdong as Chinese immigrants migrated to other parts of the world. Ng Poon Chew (1866-1957), a prominent businessman and community leader in Singapore, was one such individual who helped establish the Ng clan's presence in Southeast Asia.

Ng Akew (1911-1977), a renowned Cantonese opera singer and actress, was another notable figure who helped popularize the surname "Ng" in the 20th century. Her performances and recordings are considered cultural treasures in the Cantonese-speaking world.

Other notable individuals with the surname "Ng" include Ng Ser Miang (1923-2005), a Singaporean businessman and philanthropist, and Ng Suat Tong (1939-2022), a Malaysian engineer and academic who made significant contributions to the field of structural engineering.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ng

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ng.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ng was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ng has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ng was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ng, please contact us.

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