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

Poon, 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 Poon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Poon in America

Poon is the 7308th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Poon surname appeared 4,564 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Poon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Poon 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 Poon

The surname POON originated in China and has its roots in the Cantonese language. It is derived from the Chinese word "poon," which means "a fountain" or "a spring." The name was initially associated with individuals who lived near a natural water source or a well.

The earliest recorded mentions of the POON surname can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in the regions of Guangdong and Guangxi in southern China. During this period, the name appeared in various local records and documents.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named POON Kwan-yu (1249-1333) was a renowned scholar and poet. He was born in Guangdong Province and is known for his contributions to Chinese literature and philosophy.

The POON surname later spread to other parts of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, as people migrated and settled in new areas. It is also found in overseas Chinese communities, particularly in Southeast Asia and North America.

One notable individual with the POON surname was POON Lim (1918-1991), a Chinese-British sailor who survived 133 days adrift on a small raft in the Atlantic Ocean after his ship was sunk during World War II. His remarkable story of survival is well-documented.

Another individual of historical significance was POON Tsz-hing (1890-1968), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Hong Kong. He was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions and charitable organizations in the region.

In the realm of sports, POON Kin-shing (born 1963) is a former professional football (soccer) player from Hong Kong. He represented the Hong Kong national team and played for various clubs in Asia during his career.

The POON surname has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Poon Chau (a small island in Hong Kong) and Poon Chau Village (a village in Guangdong Province).

Over time, the POON surname has undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Pun, Pung, and Phoon, due to differences in romanization and regional dialects. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Chinese language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Poon

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

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

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

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