2000
#4,556
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.65
Uncommon Last name
Vuong
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname 王 (Wáng), meaning "king" or "ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,374 Americans carry the last name Vuong. That puts it at #3,266 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,700 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vuong 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 Vuong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,700
Census rank
#3,266
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,791 bearers of the surname Vuong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3266th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vuong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vuong
The surname VUONG has its origins in Vietnam, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "vuong," meaning "king" or "sovereign," suggesting that the name may have been given to individuals associated with royalty or nobility.
During the Le Dynasty (1428-1789), the VUONG surname was prevalent among families residing in the regions of Hanoi and the Red River Delta. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of this name were members of the imperial court or held positions of authority under the ruling monarchs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VUONG surname can be found in the "Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu," a historical text compiled in the 15th century, which mentions a notable scholar and official named Vuong Van Hiep (1492-1570), who served under the Le Dynasty.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Vuong Duy Nhat (1625-1698) was a revered Confucian scholar and poet. His works and teachings had a significant influence on Vietnamese literature and philosophy during that period.
During the 18th century, the VUONG surname gained prominence with the rise of Vuong Thua Van (1740-1800), a celebrated military leader and strategist who played a crucial role in the Tay Son Rebellion against the Nguyen Lords.
Another notable individual was Vuong Trung Phan (1891-1972), a renowned linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of the Vietnamese language and literature in the early 20th century.
Vuong Thua Ky (1920-2008), a celebrated artist and calligrapher, was also a prominent bearer of this surname. His works and teachings had a profound impact on the development of Vietnamese calligraphic art in the late 20th century.
While the VUONG surname is primarily associated with Vietnam, it has also been found in neighboring countries like Cambodia and Laos, possibly due to migration and cultural exchange in the region over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vuong
Among Census respondents with the surname Vuong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Vuong 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 Vuong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.2% · 10,268
- Two or more races2.1% · 224
- White1.3% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 131
- Black or African American0.2% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vuong
Vuong 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
#3,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,407
+2,259 bearers (+31.6%)
Per 100,000 3.19
Rank movement Up 790 places
2020
#3,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,791
+1,384 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 3.61
Rank movement Up 500 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,556 | 7,148 | 2.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,766 | 9,407 | 3.19 | +2,259 bearers (+31.6%) | Up 790 places |
| 2020 | #3,266 | 10,791 | 3.61 | +1,384 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 500 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 Vuong 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 | #3,766 | #3,266 | 13.3% |
| Count | 9,407 | 10,791 | 14.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.19 | 3.61 | 13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vuong bearers went from 9,407 to 10,791 (+14.7% change). The surname moved up 500 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,766 to #3,266.
FAQ
Vuong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vuong?
Name Census estimates that about 12,374 living Americans carry the surname Vuong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,700 residents.
How common is Vuong?
Vuong ranks #3,266 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,791 people with the surname Vuong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,374), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Vuong.
Has Vuong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vuong went from 9,407 recorded bearers to 10,791. That is an increase of 1,384 (+14.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,766 to #3,266.
What does the Census say about the background of Vuong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vuong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) 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 Vuong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (10,268 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vuong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%), 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 Vuong (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 Vuong mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname 王 (Wáng), meaning "king" or "ruler." 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 Vuong (3.61 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 have the last name Vuong?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Vuong on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.