2000
#1,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,953
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.14
Uncommon Last name
Dang
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Deng, meaning "lamp" or "lantern."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 42,107 Americans carry the last name Dang. That puts it at #930 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,140 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dang 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 Dang with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
42K
1 in 8,140
Census rank
#930
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
37K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,719 bearers of the surname Dang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 930th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dang
The surname Dang has its origins in Vietnam, where it first emerged in the 11th century. It is derived from the Vietnamese word "dang," which means "class" or "rank." The name was initially associated with members of the upper social classes or those who held high-ranking positions in society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dang surname can be found in the Annals of Dai Viet, a historical text that chronicles the events and rulers of Vietnam's Ly Dynasty, which ruled from 1009 to 1225. The text mentions several individuals with the surname Dang who held prominent roles in the imperial court or served as military leaders.
During the Tran Dynasty, which ruled from 1225 to 1400, the Dang surname continued to be associated with members of the nobility and elite classes. Historical records from this period, such as the Toàn Thư (Complete Annals) and the Khâm Định Việt Sử Thông Giám Cương Mục (Imperially Ordered Outline of the Complete History of Vietnam), mention several notable figures with the Dang surname.
One of the most famous individuals with the Dang surname was Dang Nhan Khu (1276-1343), a renowned Vietnamese poet and philosopher. He served as a high-ranking official during the Tran Dynasty and is celebrated for his contributions to Vietnamese literature and Confucian thought.
Another notable figure was Dang Tran Con (1300-1370), a military commander who played a crucial role in the Vietnamese resistance against the Mongol invasions in the 13th century. He is remembered as a skilled strategist and a hero who helped defend Vietnam's independence.
During the Le Dynasty, which ruled from 1428 to 1788, the Dang surname continued to be prominent among the ruling classes and scholarly elite. One notable example was Dang Huy Tru (1730-1794), a renowned Vietnamese poet and scholar who served as a high-ranking official in the Le court.
In more recent times, the Dang surname has been carried by influential figures in Vietnamese politics and culture. For instance, Dang Thuy Tram (1942-1970) was a Vietnamese doctor and writer who gained posthumous fame for her wartime diaries, which provided a poignant account of the Vietnam War from a civilian perspective.
Overall, the Dang surname has a long and distinguished history in Vietnam, spanning several dynasties and centuries. It has been associated with members of the upper classes, scholars, poets, military leaders, and influential figures who have left an indelible mark on Vietnamese culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dang
Among Census respondents with the surname Dang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dang 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 Dang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.9% · 34,842
- Two or more races2.1% · 787
- White1.7% · 632
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 331
- Black or African American0.3% · 117
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dang
Dang 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
#1,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,389
+8,436 bearers (+38.4%)
Per 100,000 10.30
Rank movement Up 335 places
2020
#930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,719
+6,330 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 12.28
Rank movement Up 225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,490 | 21,953 | 8.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,155 | 30,389 | 10.30 | +8,436 bearers (+38.4%) | Up 335 places |
| 2020 | #930 | 36,719 | 12.28 | +6,330 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 225 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 Dang 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 | #1,155 | #930 | 19.5% |
| Count | 30,389 | 36,719 | 20.8% |
| Per 100K | 10.30 | 12.28 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dang bearers went from 30,389 to 36,719 (+20.8% change). The surname moved up 225 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,155 to #930.
FAQ
Dang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dang?
Name Census estimates that about 42,107 living Americans carry the surname Dang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,140 residents.
How common is Dang?
Dang ranks #930 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,719 people with the surname Dang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (42,107), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Dang.
Has Dang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dang went from 30,389 recorded bearers to 36,719. That is an increase of 6,330 (+20.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,155 to #930.
What does the Census say about the background of Dang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.7%). 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 Dang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (34,842 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%), White (1.7%). 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 Dang (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 Dang mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname Deng, meaning "lamp" or "lantern." 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 Dang (12.28 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 Dang?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.