2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Proeung
A Thai surname associated with a small village in central Thailand.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Proeung. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Proeung 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Proeung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Proeung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Proeung
The surname PROEUNG originated in Cambodia during the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Khmer words "pro" meaning "to travel" and "eung" meaning "to seek refuge or shelter." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals or families who had traveled from one location to another in search of safety or a new home.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PROEUNG can be found in a manuscript dating back to the reign of King Barom Reachea II (1476-1504). The document mentions a village elder named Tep PROEUNG, who was responsible for overseeing the resettlement of people displaced by conflicts in the region.
During the 16th century, the name PROEUNG appeared in records related to land ownership and taxation in the provinces of Battambang and Banteay Meanchey. This suggests that individuals with this surname had established themselves as landowners and contributed to the economic development of these areas.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Neang PROEUNG (1723-1788) was a renowned writer and poet during the reign of King Ang Duong. Her literary works, which explored themes of resilience and perseverance, are considered significant contributions to Cambodian literature.
Another prominent individual with the surname PROEUNG was Chea PROEUNG (1854-1932), a revered Buddhist monk and scholar. He is credited with preserving and reviving important Buddhist texts and traditions that had been lost during periods of conflict and turmoil.
In the 20th century, Srey PROEUNG (1910-1989) was a respected educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools in rural areas and worked tirelessly to promote education and empowerment for girls and women in Cambodia.
The surname PROEUNG can also be traced to various place names in Cambodia, such as Proeung Veng, Proeung Trav, and Proeung Kbal, indicating that families with this name may have originated from or settled in these locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Proeung
Among Census respondents with the surname Proeung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Proeung 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 Proeung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.4% · 102
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- White1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Proeung
Proeung appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+12 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 10,258 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 Proeung 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 | #153,769 | #143,511 | 6.7% |
| Count | 106 | 118 | 11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Proeung bearers went from 106 to 118 (+11.3% change). The surname moved up 10,258 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #143,511.
FAQ
Proeung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Proeung?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Proeung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Proeung?
Proeung ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Proeung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Proeung.
Has Proeung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Proeung went from 106 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 12 (+11.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Proeung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Proeung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Proeung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Proeung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.4%), Two or More Races (6.8%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Proeung (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 Proeung mean?
A Thai surname associated with a small village in central Thailand. 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 Proeung (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 share the surname Proeung?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.