2000
#1,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,980
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.89
Uncommon Last name
Ngo
A Vietnamese surname referring to five types of fish or an abbreviation for a non-governmental organization.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,459 Americans carry the last name Ngo. That puts it at #881 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,709 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ngo 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 Ngo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
44K
1 in 7,709
Census rank
#881
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,770 bearers of the surname Ngo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 881st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ngo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ngo
The surname Ngo originates from Vietnam, with its earliest known usage dating back to the 15th century during the Later Le Dynasty. It is believed to be derived from the Vietnamese word "ngo," which means "bamboo." The name was likely given to families who lived near or worked with bamboo groves.
Ngo is a relatively common surname in Vietnam, particularly in the northern and central regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Lê Dynasty, a historical text from the 15th century, which mentions a courtier named Ngo Thi Nham.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Ngo Thi Ngan played a significant role in the resistance against the Trinh Lords, who ruled over northern Vietnam during that time. Ngo Thi Ngan was a renowned military leader and strategist, and her efforts are celebrated in Vietnamese folklore.
The name Ngo also has a connection to several place names in Vietnam. For instance, the village of Ngo Quyen in Hai Duong Province is named after a 10th-century Vietnamese military leader, Ngo Quyen, who played a crucial role in defeating the Chinese army and establishing Vietnamese independence.
Another notable individual with the surname Ngo was Ngo Dinh Diem, who served as the first President of South Vietnam from 1955 until his assassination in 1963. Ngo Dinh Diem's family originated from the village of Phu Cam in Quang Tri Province.
Other historical figures with the surname Ngo include Ngo Bao Chau, a renowned Vietnamese mathematician and scholar from the 18th century, and Ngo Gia Tu, a 19th-century Vietnamese poet and writer who is celebrated for his contributions to the country's literary heritage.
While the surname Ngo is most commonly associated with Vietnam, it has also been recorded in other Southeast Asian countries, such as Cambodia and Laos, likely due to migration and cultural exchange within the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ngo
Among Census respondents with the surname Ngo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and White (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ngo 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 Ngo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 36,986
- Two or more races2.1% · 804
- White1.3% · 485
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 360
- Black or African American0.3% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ngo
Ngo 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
#1,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,005
+9,025 bearers (+37.6%)
Per 100,000 11.19
Rank movement Up 293 places
2020
#881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,770
+5,765 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 12.97
Rank movement Up 181 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,355 | 23,980 | 8.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,062 | 33,005 | 11.19 | +9,025 bearers (+37.6%) | Up 293 places |
| 2020 | #881 | 38,770 | 12.97 | +5,765 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 181 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 Ngo 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 | #1,062 | #881 | 17.0% |
| Count | 33,005 | 38,770 | 17.5% |
| Per 100K | 11.19 | 12.97 | 15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ngo bearers went from 33,005 to 38,770 (+17.5% change). The surname moved up 181 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,062 to #881.
FAQ
Ngo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ngo?
Name Census estimates that about 44,459 living Americans carry the surname Ngo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,709 residents.
How common is Ngo?
Ngo ranks #881 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,770 people with the surname Ngo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,459), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Ngo.
Has Ngo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ngo went from 33,005 recorded bearers to 38,770. That is an increase of 5,765 (+17.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,062 to #881.
What does the Census say about the background of Ngo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ngo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. 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 Ngo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (36,986 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ngo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), 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 Ngo (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 Ngo mean?
A Vietnamese surname referring to five types of fish or an abbreviation for a non-governmental organization. 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 Ngo (12.97 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 Americans have the surname Ngo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.