2000
#982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,333
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.99
Uncommon Last name
Vang
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname "Wang," meaning "king" or "monarch."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 64,516 Americans carry the last name Vang. That puts it at #582 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 18.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,313 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vang 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
65K
1 in 5,313
Census rank
#582
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
18.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
56K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 56,261 bearers of the surname Vang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 18.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 582nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vang
The surname VANG is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Norway and Sweden. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century. The name is derived from the Old Norse word "vangr," which means "field" or "meadow."
In Norway, the name VANG was initially found in areas such as Vang in Oppland county and Vang in Hedmark county. These place names likely influenced the formation of the surname. Some early Norwegian records mention individuals with the name VANG, though specific dates are uncertain.
The VANG surname also has a presence in Sweden, where it is thought to have originated from place names like Vång in Halland county and Vång in Västergötland county. These Swedish place names are derived from the same Old Norse root word as the Norwegian counterparts.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname VANG was Halvor Vang, a Norwegian farmer who lived in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Anders Vang, a Swedish soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).
In the 17th century, the VANG surname appeared in various records, such as church registers and census documents. For example, Peder Vang was a Norwegian farmer born in 1632, while Olof Vang was a Swedish blacksmith born in 1657.
During the 18th century, the VANG name continued to be prominent in Scandinavia. One notable individual was Nils Vang, a Norwegian merchant and ship owner who lived from 1712 to 1789. In Sweden, Johan Vang (1741-1815) was a respected Lutheran clergyman and author.
As people migrated from Scandinavia to other parts of the world, the VANG surname spread to new regions. In the 19th century, individuals with the name VANG can be found in records from countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting the migration patterns of that era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vang
Among Census respondents with the surname Vang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Vang 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 Vang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.4% · 54,223
- White1.6% · 925
- Two or more races1.3% · 723
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 232
- Black or African American0.2% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vang
Vang 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
#726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 48,036
+15,703 bearers (+48.6%)
Per 100,000 16.28
Rank movement Up 256 places
2020
#582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 56,261
+8,225 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 18.82
Rank movement Up 144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #982 | 32,333 | 11.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #726 | 48,036 | 16.28 | +15,703 bearers (+48.6%) | Up 256 places |
| 2020 | #582 | 56,261 | 18.82 | +8,225 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 144 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 Vang 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 | #726 | #582 | 19.8% |
| Count | 48,036 | 56,261 | 17.1% |
| Per 100K | 16.28 | 18.82 | 15.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vang bearers went from 48,036 to 56,261 (+17.1% change). The surname moved up 144 positions in the national ranking, going from #726 to #582.
FAQ
Vang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vang?
Name Census estimates that about 64,516 living Americans carry the surname Vang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,313 residents.
How common is Vang?
Vang ranks #582 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 18.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 19 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 56,261 people with the surname Vang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (64,516), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 18.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 18.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 19 of them to have the surname Vang.
Has Vang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vang went from 48,036 recorded bearers to 56,261. That is an increase of 8,225 (+17.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #726 to #582.
What does the Census say about the background of Vang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vang, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (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 Vang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (54,223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.4%), White (1.6%), Two or More Races (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 Vang (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 Vang mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from the Chinese surname "Wang," meaning "king" or "monarch." 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 Vang (18.82 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 Vang?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.