2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Phomsouvanh
A surname of Lao origin meaning a person from the village of Phomsouvanh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Phomsouvanh. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Phomsouvanh 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Phomsouvanh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Phomsouvanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and White (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Phomsouvanh
The surname "PHOMSOUVANH" originates from Laos, a country located in Southeast Asia. It is a Lao name that can be traced back to the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, which existed from the 14th to the 18th century.
The name "PHOMSOUVANH" is a combination of two Lao words, "phom" and "souvanh." "Phom" is believed to be derived from the Pali word "phom," meaning "flower" or "blossom," while "souvanh" is a Lao word meaning "gold" or "golden." Together, the name can be interpreted as "golden flower" or "flower of gold."
There are no known historical records or manuscripts that specifically mention the surname "PHOMSOUVANH" from ancient times. However, the name likely emerged during the reign of the Lao monarchy, when surnames became more commonly used among the nobility and upper classes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "PHOMSOUVANH" can be found in the 19th century, during the French colonial period in Laos. Khamphao Phomsouvanh (1825-1891) was a prominent Lao nobleman and administrator who served as the Governor of Luang Prabang province under French colonial rule.
Another notable figure with the surname "PHOMSOUVANH" was Thao Phomsouvanh (1875-1936), a Lao prince and diplomat who represented Laos in negotiations with the French colonial authorities. He played a crucial role in preserving Lao culture and traditions during the colonial era.
Khamfan Phomsouvanh (1901-1975) was a Lao politician and diplomat who served as the first Prime Minister of Laos after the country gained independence from France in 1953. He played a pivotal role in shaping the early years of Laos as a modern nation-state.
In the field of literature, Maha Phomsouvanh (1924-2008) was a renowned Lao novelist and poet. He is regarded as one of the most influential writers in Lao modern literature and is credited with introducing new literary styles and themes to Lao literature.
More recently, Khampheng Phomsouvanh (1945-present) is a prominent Lao artist and sculptor. He is known for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures that depict traditional Lao culture and mythology.
While the name "PHOMSOUVANH" is primarily associated with Laos, it is also found among Lao diaspora communities around the world, particularly in countries like France, the United States, and Australia, where many Lao people have migrated over the past few decades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Phomsouvanh
Among Census respondents with the surname Phomsouvanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and White (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Phomsouvanh 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 Phomsouvanh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- White2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Phomsouvanh
Phomsouvanh 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+26 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,615 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-21 bearers (-14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,735 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +26 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 12,615 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-14.9%) | Down 19,735 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 Phomsouvanh 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 | #122,314 | #142,049 | -16.1% |
| Count | 141 | 120 | -14.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Phomsouvanh bearers went from 141 to 120 (-14.9% change). The surname moved down 19,735 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #142,049.
FAQ
Phomsouvanh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Phomsouvanh?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Phomsouvanh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Phomsouvanh?
Phomsouvanh ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Phomsouvanh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Phomsouvanh.
Has Phomsouvanh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Phomsouvanh went from 141 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 21 (-14.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Phomsouvanh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Phomsouvanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and White (2.5%). 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 Phomsouvanh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Phomsouvanh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.5%), Hispanic (4.2%), White (2.5%). 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 Phomsouvanh (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 Phomsouvanh mean?
A surname of Lao origin meaning a person from the village of Phomsouvanh. 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 Phomsouvanh (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 many people have the surname Phomsouvanh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.