2000
#1,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,808
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.31
Uncommon Last name
Truong
A Vietnamese surname referring to a middle-class landowner or master of a trade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 51,957 Americans carry the last name Truong. That puts it at #748 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,597 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Truong 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Truong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
52K
1 in 6,597
Census rank
#748
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
45K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 45,309 bearers of the surname Truong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 748th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Truong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Truong
The surname TRUONG originated in Vietnam, and can be traced back to the early 15th century. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "truong," which means "village" or "hamlet." This reflects the name's origins among rural communities in various regions of the country.
One of the earliest known references to the TRUONG name appears in a historical text from the late 15th century, which mentions a village leader named Truong Dinh. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with local authorities or prominent figures within Vietnamese villages.
By the 16th century, the TRUONG surname had become more widespread, appearing in various administrative records and legal documents from different provinces. Notable individuals from this period include Truong Van Hanh, a skilled carpenter who contributed to the construction of several temples and pagodas in the late 1500s.
In the 17th century, the TRUONG name gained further prominence with the rise of Truong Vinh Ky, a celebrated poet and scholar who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court. His works, which included collections of poetry and essays, helped to establish the TRUONG name as one associated with literary and intellectual pursuits.
During the 19th century, the TRUONG surname was particularly prevalent in the central and southern regions of Vietnam. One notable figure from this time was Truong Dinh, a renowned military leader who played a crucial role in the resistance against French colonial forces in the late 1800s.
Another significant individual bearing the TRUONG name was Truong Tan Buu, a renowned scientist and educator who made important contributions to the field of nuclear physics in the early 20th century. Born in 1886, he was recognized internationally for his research and served as the president of the Indochina University (now the University of Hanoi) from 1945 to 1951.
Throughout its history, the TRUONG surname has been associated with various occupations, from village leaders and scholars to military figures and scientists. Its enduring presence in Vietnam reflects the country's rich cultural heritage and the deep roots of many family names within its communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Truong
Among Census respondents with the surname Truong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Truong 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 Truong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.6% · 43,322
- Two or more races2.0% · 908
- White1.3% · 604
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 387
- Black or African American0.2% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Truong
Truong 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
#903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,267
+10,459 bearers (+37.6%)
Per 100,000 12.97
Rank movement Up 254 places
2020
#748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,309
+7,042 bearers (+18.4%)
Per 100,000 15.16
Rank movement Up 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,157 | 27,808 | 10.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #903 | 38,267 | 12.97 | +10,459 bearers (+37.6%) | Up 254 places |
| 2020 | #748 | 45,309 | 15.16 | +7,042 bearers (+18.4%) | Up 155 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 Truong 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 | #903 | #748 | 17.2% |
| Count | 38,267 | 45,309 | 18.4% |
| Per 100K | 12.97 | 15.16 | 16.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Truong bearers went from 38,267 to 45,309 (+18.4% change). The surname moved up 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #903 to #748.
FAQ
Truong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Truong?
Name Census estimates that about 51,957 living Americans carry the surname Truong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,597 residents.
How common is Truong?
Truong ranks #748 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 45,309 people with the surname Truong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (51,957), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname Truong.
Has Truong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Truong went from 38,267 recorded bearers to 45,309. That is an increase of 7,042 (+18.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #903 to #748.
What does the Census say about the background of Truong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Truong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and White (1.3%). 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 Truong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (43,322 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Truong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.6%), Two or More Races (2.0%), White (1.3%). 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 Truong (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 Truong mean?
A Vietnamese surname referring to a middle-class landowner or master of a trade. 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 Truong (15.16 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 common is the surname Truong?
You can see how many people have the last name Truong on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.