2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vongsavanh
A Thai surname indicating someone from the province of Savannakhet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Vongsavanh. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vongsavanh 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Vongsavanh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vongsavanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and White (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vongsavanh
The surname VONGSAVANH originates from Laos, a country located in Southeast Asia. It is believed to have emerged during the late 15th century or early 16th century, a period marked by the establishment of the Lan Xang Kingdom, which unified various principalities in the region.
VONGSAVANH is derived from the Lao language, with "Vong" meaning "dynasty" or "royal family," and "Savanh" potentially referring to the word "savannah" or "open grassland." This combination suggests a connection to royalty or nobility, possibly indicating that the bearers of this surname were associated with the ruling class or had ties to the royal families of that era.
The earliest recorded instances of the VONGSAVANH surname can be traced back to inscriptions and manuscripts from the Lan Xang Kingdom, although specific dates are difficult to pinpoint due to the scarcity of historical records from that time. One notable figure was Thao VONGSAVANH, a prominent military leader who played a crucial role in the defense of the kingdom against invading forces in the late 16th century.
During the 17th century, the VONGSAVANH name gained prominence when King Souligna Vongsa (1637-1694) ascended to the throne of the Lan Xang Kingdom. His reign was marked by territorial expansions and diplomatic alliances, solidifying the kingdom's influence in the region. Several members of the royal family and noble houses bore the VONGSAVANH surname during this period.
In the 19th century, Chao Anou VONGSAVANH (1824-1888) was a influential figure who served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Luang Prabang, a successor state to the Lan Xang Kingdom. He played a pivotal role in negotiating treaties and maintaining diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.
Another notable bearer of the VONGSAVANH surname was Kham VONGSAVANH (1902-1975), a prominent Lao politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Laos from 1948 to 1950. He was instrumental in guiding the country through the transition period following French colonial rule and advocating for Lao independence.
Soubanh VONGSAVANH (1910-1978) was a Lao revolutionary and military leader who played a significant role in the Laotian Civil War. He became the Vice President of the Lao Patriotic Front and was a key figure in the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
While the VONGSAVANH surname has its roots in Laos, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage and royal lineages of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vongsavanh
Among Census respondents with the surname Vongsavanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and White (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Vongsavanh 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 Vongsavanh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.0% · 85
- Two or more races10.5% · 11
- White2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vongsavanh
Vongsavanh 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-10 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,848 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 8,848 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 Vongsavanh 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 | #144,141 | #152,989 | -6.1% |
| Count | 115 | 105 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vongsavanh bearers went from 115 to 105 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 8,848 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #152,989.
FAQ
Vongsavanh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vongsavanh?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Vongsavanh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Vongsavanh?
Vongsavanh ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Vongsavanh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Vongsavanh.
Has Vongsavanh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vongsavanh went from 115 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Vongsavanh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vongsavanh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.5%) and White (2.9%). 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 Vongsavanh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vongsavanh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.0%), Two or More Races (10.5%), White (2.9%). 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 Vongsavanh (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 Vongsavanh mean?
A Thai surname indicating someone from the province of Savannakhet. 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 Vongsavanh (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 common is the surname Vongsavanh?
If you just want to know how common the surname Vongsavanh is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.