Explore the Family Name Hun

The meaning of Hun

1. Hungarian (also Hún): apparently from Hun, an ethnic name for a Turkic people, possibly borrowed as a Hungarian surname because of Hunor, mythological founder of one of the two distinct branches of the Hungarian nation. 2. German and English: variant of Hunn. 3. Cambodian: written ហ៊ុន, of Chinese origin, but unexplained etymology. The surname ហ៊ុន also corresponds to the Khmer word denoting e.g. a unit for weighing precious metals, itself of Chinese origin as well. 4. Korean: unexplained. 5. Chinese: variant of Han. 6. Amerindian (Guatemala; also Hún): Mayan name, from jun ‘one’.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Hun" has seen a surge in popularity over the course of a decade. In 2000, it was ranked as the 40,335th most popular last name in the United States and by 2010, it had jumped to the 35,993rd spot, marking a 10.76% upswing. Not only did its rank improve, but the count of individuals with this surname also rose from 511 to 623, reflecting a substantial 21.92% increase. The proportion per 100,000 people similarly increased by 10.53%.

20002010Change
Rank#40,335#35,99310.76%
Count51162321.92%
Proportion per 100k0.190.2110.53%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hun

When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Hun", again referencing Decennial U.S. Census data, we see some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest portion of individuals bearing the surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, with this demographic growing from 69.47% to 73.52%. However, there was a drastic decrease in those identifying as two or more races, slumping from 7.83% to 3.53%. The percentage of those identifying as white also declined, from 14.68% to 12.20%, while the Hispanic population saw significant growth, rising from 5.28% to 9.47%. No change was observed among those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander69.47%73.52%5.83%
White14.68%12.2%-16.89%
Hispanic5.28%9.47%79.36%
Two or More Races7.83%3.53%-54.92%
Black2.74%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%