Explore the Family Name Chung

The meaning of Chung

1. Chinese: Cantonese and variant Mandarin form of the surnames 鐘, 仲 and 衷, see Zhong 1–3. 2. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 宗, see Zong. 3. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 叢, see Cong 1. 4. Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surname 崇, see Chong 2. 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 張 and 章, see Zhang 1 and 2. 6. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 蔣, see Jiang 2. 7. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曾, see Zeng. 8. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莊, see Zhuang. 9. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄭, see Zheng 1. 10. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 臧, based on its Cantonese pronunciation, see Zang. 11. Korean: variant of Chŏng (see Chong 1). 12. Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 鍾, see Zhong 1. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Young, Sung, Jae, Jin, Kyung, Kwang, Yong, Sang, Soon, Won, Dong, Myung. Korean Byung, Hae, Chang, Min, Koo, Chul, Dae, Joo, Woon, Chong, Myong, Nam. Vietnamese Hung, Thanh, Minh, Cuong, Hai, Sanh, Son, Vinh, Yen, Chau, Ha, Ha To.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Chung in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Chung has seen a significant increase in the United States. In 2000, it was ranked as the 870th most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 805th position, indicating a growth rate of 7.47%. The count of people carrying the surname also grew from 36,422 in 2000 to 43,110 in 2010, marking an increase of 18.36%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 increased by 8.22%, moving from 13.5 in 2000 to 14.61 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#870#8057.47%
Count36,42243,11018.36%
Proportion per 100k13.514.618.22%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chung

When considering the ethnic identity associated with the surname Chung, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group made up 91.02% in 2000 and slightly decreased to 90.01% in 2010. The representation of those identifying with two or more races increased by 11.05%, from 3.62% in 2000 to 4.02% in 2010. Interestingly, there was a 33.33% increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic, although they still represent a small portion of Chung-surnamed individuals. The percentage of those identifying as Black also rose from 1.93% in 2000 to 2.28% in 2010. However, the proportion of those identifying as White and American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 3.85% and 25.00% respectively.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander91.02%90.01%-1.11%
Two or More Races3.62%4.02%11.05%
Black1.93%2.28%18.13%
White2.34%2.25%-3.85%
Hispanic1.05%1.4%33.33%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.04%0.03%-25%

Chung ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Chung is Chinese, which comprises 38.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (38.1%) and Vietnamese (4.6%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Chinese Dai, Filipino & Austronesian, and Japanese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Chinese38.3%
Korean38.1%
Vietnamese4.6%
Other19.0%
Chung

Possible origins of the surname Chung

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Chung have recent ancestry locations in China and South Korea.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Guangdong, China45.50%
Fujian, China42.00%
Jiangsu, China41.80%
Zhejiang, China41.20%
Shanghai, China40.90%

What Chung haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Chung is O-CTS2498, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-CTS2498 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F46 and O-F8, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Chang, Yang, Wang, Han, Wu, Chen, Lee, He, Liu, Yu.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Chung surname are: F1a1, D4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

chungPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese

Haplogroup O1a is a branch of O-M119, also called O1a. O-M119 and its branches are present in both northern and southern Han Chinese men at low to moderate frequencies, but are most common among the Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang southern Han groups. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north. Members of O-M119 belong to a group that has helped to shape the culture of the world's largest ethnic group.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Chung have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Chung

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Chung" Surname 30.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Chung

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Chung" Surname 26.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Chung

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Chung" Surname 20.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Chung

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Chung" Surname 8.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Chung?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Chung are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

ε4 variant

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and personality changes. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, developing after age 65. Many factors, including genetics, can influence a person's chances of developing the condition. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the most common genetic variant associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease: the ε4 variant in the APOE gene. Learn more about Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Chinese 18.2%

23andMe Users 25.5%