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

Pheng, 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 Pheng surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pheng in America

Pheng is the 46138th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pheng surname appeared 462 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pheng.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pheng 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 Pheng

The surname PHENG has its origins in the Southeast Asian country of Laos. This name dates back to the 14th century during the Lan Xang kingdom. It is derived from the ancient Lao word "pheng" which means "leader" or "chief".

In the early days, the name was primarily found in the central and northern regions of Laos, particularly around the areas of Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Historical records indicate that PHENG was a common surname among the noble families and village chieftains of that era.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname PHENG can be found in a manuscript from the Vat Phou temple complex in Champasak Province, dating back to the late 15th century. This manuscript mentions a high-ranking official named Pheng Xayavong, who was responsible for overseeing the construction of a new temple building.

During the 16th century, the PHENG name gained prominence with the rise of the Pheng clan, a powerful family that held significant influence in the royal court of the Lan Xang kingdom. The most notable figure from this clan was Pheng Keo, a military commander who played a crucial role in defending the kingdom against Burmese invasions from 1563 to 1572.

Another historical figure bearing the PHENG surname was Pheng Voravongsa (1778-1836), a renowned poet and scholar during the early Rattanakosin period of Siam (modern-day Thailand). His works were widely celebrated for their literary brilliance and philosophical insights.

In the 19th century, a prominent member of the PHENG family was Pheng Souriyo (1815-1893), a respected diplomat and advisor to the King of Luang Prabang. He was instrumental in negotiating treaties with the French colonial authorities and preserving the autonomy of the Luang Prabang region.

Over the centuries, the PHENG surname has also been associated with various place names in Laos, such as Pheng Kham Village in Vientiane Province and Pheng District in Savannakhet Province. These locations likely derived their names from prominent individuals or families with the PHENG surname who inhabited or governed those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pheng

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

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 Pheng 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 Pheng 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 Pheng was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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