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

Phong, 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 Phong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phong in America

Phong is the 32524th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phong surname appeared 707 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 Phong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phong 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 Phong

The surname Phong has its origins in Vietnam. It emerged during the medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Vietnamese word "phong," which means "wind" or "gale." This suggests that the surname may have initially referred to someone who lived in a windy area or had a connection to the wind.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Phong can be found in the Nguyen Dynasty records from the 17th century. These historical documents contain references to individuals with the surname Phong serving in various administrative and military roles within the imperial court.

During the 18th century, the surname Phong gained prominence in the northern region of Vietnam, particularly in the provinces of Bac Ninh and Hung Yen. Several notable figures from this period bore the surname, including Phong Quang Duc (1727-1798), a renowned scholar and poet who wrote extensively on Confucian philosophy.

As Vietnam encountered French colonization in the 19th century, the surname Phong appeared in various French administrative records and documents. One notable individual was Phong Thanh Gian (1845-1912), a revolutionary leader who fought against French colonial rule.

In the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Phong made significant contributions to Vietnamese society. Phong Van Chi (1902-1976) was a celebrated writer and journalist who played a crucial role in the country's literary scene. Phong Quang Dan (1919-2003) was a renowned architect known for his innovative designs that blended traditional Vietnamese elements with modern styles.

Another notable figure was Phong Dinh Giap (1928-2016), a highly respected military strategist who served as a general in the Vietnam People's Army during the Vietnam War. He was widely recognized for his role in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, which ultimately led to the defeat of French forces and the eventual independence of Vietnam.

While the surname Phong may not have appeared in historical records as extensively as some other Vietnamese surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, revolutionaries, artists, and military leaders.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phong

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!