Explore the Family Name Byng
The meaning of Byng
English: variant of Bing. History: The Byng family of Wrotham in Kent produced two English admirals. George Byng (1666–1733), who captured Gibraltar in 1704 and destroyed the Spanish fleet, was made Viscount Torrington in 1721. His son, John Byng, failed to lift the French siege of Minorca in 1756 and in consequence was executed for neglect of duty, amid a storm of controversy. This event provoked Voltaire’s witticism: “The English occasionally shoot an admiral in order to encourage the others.”
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Byng in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Byng had a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 106,477 in popularity and dropped to 110,825th place by 2010, marking a change of -4.08%. However, the raw count of individuals with this surname slightly increased from 155 to 159 during the same period. This resulted in a minor shift in the proportion of people with the surname Byng per 100k, decreasing from 0.06 to 0.05.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #106,477 | #110,825 | -4.08% |
| Count | 155 | 159 | 2.58% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.06 | 0.05 | -16.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Byng
As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Byng, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that it is largely attributed to those identifying as White and Black. The percentage of individuals identifying as White rose slightly from 65.81% in 2000 to 66.67% in 2010. Similarly, those identifying as Black saw a minute increase from 24.52% to 24.53%. The Hispanic representation among individuals with the surname Byng also saw growth over the decade, increasing by 11.28%. However, the percentage of those claiming two or more races decreased from 3.87% to 3.77%. There were no recorded individuals with this surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 65.81% | 66.67% | 1.31% |
| Black | 24.52% | 24.53% | 0.04% |
| Hispanic | 4.52% | 5.03% | 11.28% |
| Two or More Races | 3.87% | 3.77% | -2.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |