2000
#2,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,067
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.96
Uncommon Last name
Cheung
A Chinese surname meaning "long" or "prosperous," originating from the former state of Zheng during the Zhou Dynasty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,449 Americans carry the last name Cheung. That puts it at #1,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,268 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cheung 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 Cheung with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,268
Census rank
#1,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,577 bearers of the surname Cheung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cheung
The surname CHEUNG originated in China, specifically in the Guangdong province during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese characters 張, which can be translated to "stretch" or "extend". The name was likely given to someone who excelled in archery or possessed exceptional physical strength.
CHEUNG is a romanized version of the Cantonese pronunciation of the Chinese characters 張. In Mandarin, the surname is pronounced as "Zhang". The earliest recorded instance of this surname can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), where it appeared in various historical records and genealogical books.
One notable historical reference is the "Cheung Family Genealogy" (張氏族譜), a comprehensive record of the CHEUNG lineage compiled during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). This document provides valuable insights into the origins and migration patterns of the CHEUNG family across various regions of China.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname CHEUNG was Zhang Zhuzheng (張鑄錚, 946-998 AD), a prominent scholar and calligrapher during the Song Dynasty. Another influential figure was Zhang Jiucheng (張九成, 1092-1159 AD), a military strategist and statesman who played a crucial role in the foundation of the Southern Song Dynasty.
During the Ming Dynasty, CHEUNG Tsing-lung (張廷龍, 1567-1626) was a renowned poet and calligrapher whose works were highly regarded in literary circles. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), CHEUNG Shih-chieh (張士誠, 1638-1707) was a prominent scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the Neo-Confucian movement.
Another notable figure was CHEUNG Hing-wah (張衡華, 1805-1845), a renowned diplomat and scholar who served as the Qing Empire's ambassador to various European countries. His memoirs provide valuable insights into the cultural exchange between China and the West during the 19th century.
Throughout history, the CHEUNG surname has been associated with various place names and locations in China, such as Zhangzhou (漳州) in Fujian province and Zhangye (張掖) in Gansu province, which were likely named after influential CHEUNG families or individuals from these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cheung
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Cheung 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 Cheung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.4% · 18,276
- Two or more races3.0% · 583
- White2.2% · 428
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 230
- Black or African American0.3% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cheung
Cheung 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
#1,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,765
+2,698 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 6.36
Rank movement Up 149 places
2020
#1,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,577
+812 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 6.55
Rank movement Up 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,069 | 16,067 | 5.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,920 | 18,765 | 6.36 | +2,698 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 149 places |
| 2020 | #1,789 | 19,577 | 6.55 | +812 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 131 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 Cheung 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 | #1,920 | #1,789 | 6.8% |
| Count | 18,765 | 19,577 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 6.36 | 6.55 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cheung bearers went from 18,765 to 19,577 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,920 to #1,789.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cheung
FAQ
Cheung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cheung?
Name Census estimates that about 22,449 living Americans carry the surname Cheung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,268 residents.
How common is Cheung?
Cheung ranks #1,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,577 people with the surname Cheung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,449), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Cheung.
Has Cheung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cheung went from 18,765 recorded bearers to 19,577. That is an increase of 812 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,920 to #1,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Cheung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cheung, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (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 Cheung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (18,276 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cheung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%), White (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 Cheung (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 Cheung mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "long" or "prosperous," originating from the former state of Zheng during the Zhou Dynasty. 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 Cheung (6.55 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 surname Cheung?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.