2000
#27,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 813
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Quang
A Vietnamese surname potentially derived from the Chinese word for "bright" or "shining".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,316 Americans carry the last name Quang. That puts it at #22,906 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 260,452 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quang 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
1.3K
1 in 260,452
Census rank
#22,906
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,148 bearers of the surname Quang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22906th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quang
The surname QUANG originated in Vietnam, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "quang," which means "bright" or "shining." The name was initially associated with individuals who lived in the northern regions of Vietnam, particularly around the Red River Delta area.
In ancient Vietnamese records, the earliest mention of the surname QUANG can be traced back to the Lê Dynasty (1428-1788). It was during this period that the name gained prominence among scholars and officials who served the royal court. One notable figure was Quang Trung, a revered military leader who played a crucial role in defeating the Qing Chinese invasion in the late 18th century.
The QUANG surname has also been linked to various place names within Vietnam. For instance, the city of Quang Ngai, located in central Vietnam, may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name. Additionally, the name Quang Nam, referring to a province in the south-central region, shares a similar root.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname QUANG have left their mark in various fields. One such figure was Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk who famously practiced self-immolation in 1963 as a protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government during the Vietnam War.
Another notable QUANG was Quang Trung Nguyen (1938-2022), a Vietnamese-American artist renowned for his paintings and sculptures. His works often depicted scenes from Vietnamese culture and history, reflecting the struggles and resilience of the Vietnamese people.
In the realm of literature, Quang Dung (1932-2010) was a celebrated Vietnamese writer and poet. He is best known for his collections of poems that captured the essence of Vietnamese traditions and the impact of war on society.
The QUANG surname has also been associated with scholarly pursuits. Quang Phuoc (1891-1960) was a prominent Vietnamese educator and intellectual who played a significant role in promoting modern education and cultural reforms in Vietnam during the early 20th century.
Finally, Quang Hai (1978-present) is a contemporary Vietnamese footballer who has represented his country in various international competitions. He is widely regarded as one of the most talented and successful players in Vietnamese football history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quang
Among Census respondents with the surname Quang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Quang 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 Quang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.4% · 1,061
- Two or more races3.3% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 25
- White1.8% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quang
Quang appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#25,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 982
+169 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 2,595 places
2020
#22,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,148
+166 bearers (+16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Up 2,320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,821 | 813 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,226 | 982 | 0.33 | +169 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 2,595 places |
| 2020 | #22,906 | 1,148 | 0.38 | +166 bearers (+16.9%) | Up 2,320 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 Quang 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 | #25,226 | #22,906 | 9.2% |
| Count | 982 | 1,148 | 16.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.38 | 16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quang bearers went from 982 to 1,148 (+16.9% change). The surname moved up 2,320 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,226 to #22,906.
FAQ
Quang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quang?
Name Census estimates that about 1,316 living Americans carry the surname Quang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 260,452 residents.
How common is Quang?
Quang ranks #22,906 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,148 people with the surname Quang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,316), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Quang.
Has Quang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quang went from 982 recorded bearers to 1,148. That is an increase of 166 (+16.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,226 to #22,906.
What does the Census say about the background of Quang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Quang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,061 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Quang (2000, 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 Quang mean?
A Vietnamese surname potentially derived from the Chinese word for "bright" or "shining". 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 Quang (0.38 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 Americans have the surname Quang?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.