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

Phun, 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 Phun surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phun in America

Phun is the 64200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phun surname appeared 310 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 Phun.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phun 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 Phun

The surname PHUN is believed to originate from the Anglicized spelling of the German word "pfun," which means "pound" or a unit of weight or currency. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany.

The name is thought to have derived from the occupation of an ancestor who may have worked as a weigher or trader of goods, possibly dealing with the measurement or exchange of commodities using the unit of weight known as the "pfun." This connection to a trade or profession was common in the development of many surnames during the Middle Ages.

Historical records show that in 1562, a merchant named Hans Phun was granted the right to conduct business in the city of Nuremberg, which was a major trade center at the time. This early reference suggests that the name was associated with commercial activities involving weights and measures.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the parish records of the town of Aschaffenburg, located in the German state of Bavaria. One notable entry is the birth record of Johann Phun in 1632, the son of a local baker named Michael Phun.

As the name spread throughout German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Pfun, Phunn, and Phundt. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the evolution of the German language over time.

Notable individuals with the surname PHUN include:

1. Friedrich Phun (1790-1868), a renowned German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
2. Johanna Phun (1825-1903), a pioneer in the field of nursing and midwifery, who established one of the first training programs for midwives in Berlin.
3. Wilhelm Phun (1858-1927), a German architect known for his work on several notable buildings in Munich, including the Neue Pinakothek art museum.
4. Anna Phun (1879-1956), a German author and playwright whose works explored the themes of family dynamics and social issues in the early 20th century.
5. Ernst Phun (1901-1982), a German-born American physicist who played a crucial role in the development of radar technology during World War II.

While the surname PHUN is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the commercial and occupational traditions of Germanic regions, with notable individuals contributing to various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phun

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

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

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

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