2000
#4,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,460
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.39
Uncommon Last name
Peng
A Chinese surname meaning "friend" or "associate," or referring to a type of clay pot or vessel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,589 Americans carry the last name Peng. That puts it at #2,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,494 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Peng 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 Peng with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,494
Census rank
#2,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,722 bearers of the surname Peng in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Peng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and White (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Peng
The surname PENG has its origins in China, where it dates back to ancient times. It is derived from the Chinese word "peng," which means "level" or "flat," suggesting that the name may have been given to families who lived in regions with flat terrain or open plains.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the PENG surname can be found in the historical records of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), where it was mentioned as a prominent family name in the region of present-day Sichuan Province. During this period, the PENG family played a significant role in local governance and politics.
In the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the PENG surname gained further prominence with the rise of PENG Daya (945-1005), a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of Neo-Confucianism. His writings and teachings influenced generations of scholars and thinkers in China.
The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) also saw the PENG surname associated with notable figures, such as PENG Sunyu (1615-1677), a prominent military leader and strategist who played a crucial role in the defense of China against the Manchu invasion.
In the realm of literature, PENG Cheng (1938-2020) was a celebrated Chinese novelist and screenwriter, known for his realistic depictions of urban life in contemporary China. His novels, such as "The Wandering Falcon" and "The Scorching Sun," received critical acclaim and brought him international recognition.
Another notable figure with the PENG surname was PENG Dehuai (1898-1974), a prominent military leader who played a significant role in the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War. He served as the Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China from 1954 to 1959.
While the PENG surname has its roots in China, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. In Taiwan, for instance, there is a sizable population with the PENG surname, reflecting the shared cultural heritage with mainland China.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Peng
Among Census respondents with the surname Peng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and White (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Peng 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 Peng surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.4% · 11,752
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 407
- White2.6% · 332
- Two or more races1.3% · 162
- Black or African American0.5% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Peng
Peng 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
#3,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,575
+4,115 bearers (+63.7%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Up 1,615 places
2020
#2,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,722
+2,147 bearers (+20.3%)
Per 100,000 4.26
Rank movement Up 617 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,989 | 6,460 | 2.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,374 | 10,575 | 3.58 | +4,115 bearers (+63.7%) | Up 1,615 places |
| 2020 | #2,757 | 12,722 | 4.26 | +2,147 bearers (+20.3%) | Up 617 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 Peng 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 | #3,374 | #2,757 | 18.3% |
| Count | 10,575 | 12,722 | 20.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.58 | 4.26 | 18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Peng bearers went from 10,575 to 12,722 (+20.3% change). The surname moved up 617 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,374 to #2,757.
FAQ
Peng surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Peng?
Name Census estimates that about 14,589 living Americans carry the surname Peng. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,494 residents.
How common is Peng?
Peng ranks #2,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,722 people with the surname Peng. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,589), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Peng.
Has Peng become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Peng went from 10,575 recorded bearers to 12,722. That is an increase of 2,147 (+20.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,374 to #2,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Peng?
Among Census respondents with the surname Peng, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and White (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 Peng in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (11,752 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Peng appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.4%), Hispanic (3.2%), White (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 Peng (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 Peng mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "friend" or "associate," or referring to a type of clay pot or vessel. 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 Peng (4.26 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 Peng?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.