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

Pung, 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 Pung surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pung in America

Pung is the 19986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pung surname appeared 1,341 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 Pung.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pung 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 Pung

The surname PUNG is believed to have originated in Sweden, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to derive from the Old Norse word "pungr," which means "bag" or "pouch," likely referring to an occupation or trade involving the production or use of such items.

In the parish records of Smaland, Sweden, there are several mentions of individuals bearing the PUNG surname in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One notable entry is from 1598, where a man named Lars Pung is recorded as a resident of the village of Torsas.

The PUNG name can also be found in the Swedish census records from the late 18th century, with several families listed in the regions of Smaland and Vastergotland. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johan Pung, born in 1762 in the town of Vaggeryd, Smaland.

Throughout the 19th century, the PUNG surname gained more prominence in Sweden, with several individuals achieving notable status. Anders Pung (1818-1892) was a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Varnamo, while Nils Pung (1842-1918) was a respected educator and headmaster in the city of Jonkoping.

As Swedish immigration to North America increased in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the PUNG surname began to appear in various parts of the United States and Canada. One of the earliest known immigrants was Carl Pung, who arrived in New York City from Smaland in 1876 at the age of 24.

Another notable figure was Gustav Pung (1865-1941), a Swedish-American author and journalist who was born in Varnamo, Sweden, and later settled in Chicago, where he published several books and served as editor for various Swedish-language newspapers.

In more recent times, the PUNG surname has been carried by individuals such as Gunnar Pung (1920-2002), a Swedish-born engineer and inventor who worked for several prominent aerospace companies in the United States, and Elsa Pung (1901-1988), a Swedish-American artist and sculptor known for her work in portraiture and religious art.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pung

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

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

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

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