2000
#4,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,627
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.46
Rare Last name
Pang
A Chinese surname meaning "country" or "state," or referring to a person from the ancient state of Pang.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,499 Americans carry the last name Pang. That puts it at #4,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pang 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 Pang with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.5K
1 in 36,083
Census rank
#4,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,284 bearers of the surname Pang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pang
The surname PANG has its origins in China and is believed to have emerged during the Tang Dynasty, which ruled from 618 to 907 AD. The name is derived from the Chinese word "pang," which means "fat" or "plump." It is thought that the surname was initially given to individuals who had a larger physique or a stocky build.
PANG is primarily found in the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of southern China, where it has been prevalent for centuries. In ancient Chinese records, the surname is sometimes spelled as "Peng," which is a variation of the same name.
One of the earliest documented references to the PANG surname can be found in the "Gu Jin Tong Xing Shi Xu," a compilation of historical records from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). This text mentions several individuals with the PANG surname, suggesting that the name had already established itself by that time.
In the 13th century, a scholar and poet named PANG Yuanying (1211-1279) gained recognition for his literary works. He was born in Hangzhou, which was then the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, and served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a military leader named PANG Qingyu (1538-1600) played a significant role in suppressing a rebellion in the Guangdong province. He was later awarded the title of "Marquis of Xinxing" for his bravery and loyalty to the emperor.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named PANG Xunqin (1741-1796) made contributions to the field of astronomy and mathematics. He was a scholar and astronomer who worked at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau in Beijing.
Another prominent individual with the PANG surname was PANG Xunzhi (1876-1946), a renowned educator and reformer who played a crucial role in modernizing China's education system during the late Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China.
Throughout history, the PANG surname has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Pangshan (literally "PANG Hill") and Pangcheng (meaning "PANG City"), further solidifying its deep roots in the country's history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pang
Among Census respondents with the surname Pang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pang 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 Pang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.4% · 7,324
- Two or more races5.5% · 457
- White3.5% · 288
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 184
- Black or African American0.4% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pang
Pang 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
#4,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,642
+1,015 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 2.59
Rank movement Up 220 places
2020
#4,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,284
+642 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 2.77
Rank movement Up 498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,865 | 6,627 | 2.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,645 | 7,642 | 2.59 | +1,015 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 220 places |
| 2020 | #4,147 | 8,284 | 2.77 | +642 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 498 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 Pang 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 | #4,645 | #4,147 | 10.7% |
| Count | 7,642 | 8,284 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.59 | 2.77 | 7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pang bearers went from 7,642 to 8,284 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 498 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,645 to #4,147.
FAQ
Pang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pang?
Name Census estimates that about 9,499 living Americans carry the surname Pang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,083 residents.
How common is Pang?
Pang ranks #4,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.77 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 8,284 people with the surname Pang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,499), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.77 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 Pang.
Has Pang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pang went from 7,642 recorded bearers to 8,284. That is an increase of 642 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,645 to #4,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Pang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and White (3.5%). 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 Pang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (7,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.4%), Two or More Races (5.5%), White (3.5%). 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 Pang (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 Pang mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "country" or "state," or referring to a person from the ancient state of Pang. 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 Pang (2.77 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 Pang?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.