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

Phu, 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 Phu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phu in America

Phu is the 13593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phu surname appeared 2,230 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Phu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phu 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 Phu

The surname PHU is believed to have its origins in the ancient Khmer civilization of present-day Cambodia, dating back to the 6th century CE. It was originally a locational name, derived from the Khmer word "phu" meaning "hill" or "mountain," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name lived in a hilly or mountainous region.

During the Khmer Empire, which flourished from the 9th to the 15th century, the name PHU was associated with noble families and individuals of high social status. It is found in several ancient Khmer inscriptions and manuscripts, such as the Angkor Wat temple inscriptions, which date back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name PHU is found in the Khmer chronicle "Khun Chhuan," which mentions a powerful military commander named Phu Srei from the 14th century. This suggests that the name had already gained prominence during the Khmer Empire's reign.

As the Khmer civilization declined in the 15th century, many families bearing the name PHU migrated to neighboring regions, particularly in present-day Thailand and Laos. In these regions, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Pu" or "Phoo," but the essential meaning remained the same.

Notable individuals with the surname PHU include Phu Srey Rath (1923-1973), a prominent Cambodian politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to the United Nations. Another notable bearer of this name was Phu Samrit (1900-1968), a Thai military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1959 to 1963.

In the 19th century, the name PHU was also found in parts of southern China, particularly in the Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, where it was likely adopted by ethnic Khmer or Thai communities that had settled in these regions. One notable figure from this period was Phu Tong (1865-1932), a Chinese revolutionary and politician who played a significant role in the Xinhai Revolution of 1911.

While the surname PHU is relatively uncommon outside of Southeast Asia, it has maintained a strong presence in Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos, where it continues to be associated with its ancient Khmer roots and the historical significance of the region's hill and mountain settlements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phu

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

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

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

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