2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ngim
A surname with roots in Korean culture, potentially signifying a person or place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Ngim. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ngim 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Ngim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ngim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ngim
The surname Ngim is believed to have originated from the Guangdong province of southern China. It is a relatively uncommon name, with its earliest known references dating back to the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ngim name can be found in the local administrative records of the Guangdong region, where a village elder named Ngim Ching-Yuen was mentioned in 1527. This particular village was situated near the city of Shenzhen, which at the time was a small fishing settlement.
The name Ngim is thought to be derived from the Cantonese word "ngim", which translates to "strict" or "disciplined". This linguistic connection suggests that the Ngim surname may have originally been associated with individuals who were known for their stern demeanor or adherence to principles.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Ngim Fung-Lai was a respected scholar and calligrapher who resided in the city of Guangzhou. His works and writings were preserved in the local archives, providing further evidence of the Ngim surname's presence in the region during that era.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Ngim name outside of China can be found in the records of the British East India Company. In 1786, a merchant named Ngim Siu-Kwan was documented as having conducted trade between Guangdong and the British colony of Penang.
Another historical figure associated with the Ngim surname was Ngim Yee-Fung, a renowned herbalist and traditional medicine practitioner who lived in the early 19th century. He was renowned for his expertise in treating various ailments and his teachings were passed down through generations of Ngim family members in the Guangdong region.
As the 20th century approached, the Ngim surname began to spread beyond its traditional roots in southern China. One noteworthy individual was Ngim Chee-Keong, a successful businessman and philanthropist who was born in 1892 in Singapore. He made significant contributions to various educational and charitable initiatives throughout his lifetime.
While the Ngim surname may not be as widely recognized as some other Chinese surnames, its rich history and linguistic origins provide a fascinating glimpse into the cultural and societal influences that shaped its development over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ngim
Among Census respondents with the surname Ngim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ngim 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 Ngim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.0% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ngim
Ngim 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-8 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 9,308 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 Ngim 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 | #136,449 | #145,757 | -6.8% |
| Count | 123 | 115 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ngim bearers went from 123 to 115 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 9,308 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #145,757.
FAQ
Ngim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ngim?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Ngim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Ngim?
Ngim ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Ngim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ngim.
Has Ngim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ngim went from 123 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Ngim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ngim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ngim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ngim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.0%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ngim (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 Ngim mean?
A surname with roots in Korean culture, potentially signifying a person or place of origin. 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 Ngim (0.04 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 common is the surname Ngim?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Ngim on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.