Explore the Family Name Kuang
The meaning of Kuang
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 鄺: (i) from Kuang (鄺, also written as 曠), the name of an ancient state (probably located in present-day Anhui province). (ii) said to be adopted in place of the surname 黃 by the sons of Huang Xian, a general during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (656–710 AD). It was said that Huang Xian’s two sons changed their surname 黃 (Huang) to 曠 (Kuang) and 鄺 (Kuang) in order to escape from political persecutions because their father Huang Xian lost the battle to the invaders on the frontier. (iii) said to be traced back to Fang Zhun, an official during the Southern Song dynasty (1127 AD–1279 AD), who was endowed with the surname Kuang (鄺) by the then emperor because Zhun’s daughter became the emperor’s consort. He was later demoted and moved to Heyuan (located in present-day Guangdong province). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 匡, meaning ‘rectify’ or ‘assist’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Kuang (匡), the name of a fief (in present-day Yutai in Shangdong province) in the state of Lu, which was granted to Gou Xu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from the placename Kuang (匡), the name of a fief (in present-day Changyuan in Henan province) in the state of Wey (衛) during the Spring and Autumn period. (iii) from the placename Kuang (匡), the name of a fief (in present-day Suixian in Henan province) in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. (iv) from the placename Kuang (匡), the name of a fief (in present-day Fugou in Henan province) in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period. 3. Mandarin form of the surname 況, meaning ‘situation’ or ‘circumstances’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of Kuang Chang Ning (況長寧), an official in the state of Shu (located mainly in present-day Sichuan province) during the Three Kingdoms period (220–80 AD). (ii) said to have been adopted as a surname by Kuang Zhong (況鐘), an official in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 AD), whose original surname is said to have been Huang (黃). 4. Mandarin form of the surname 曠, meaning ‘spacious’ in Chinese: (i) from Kuang (曠, also written as 鄺, see 1 above), the name of an ancient state (probably located in present-day Anhui province). (ii) from the second element of the personal name Shi Kuang (师曠), personal name of a musician in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) said to be adopted in place of the surname 黃 by the sons of Huang Xian, a general during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (656–710 AD). It was said that Huang Xian’s two sons changed their surname 黃 (Huang) to 曠 (Kuang) and 鄺 (Kuang, see 1 above) in order to escape from political persecutions because their father Huang Xian lost the battle to the invaders on the frontier. 5. variant Romanization of the surnames 關, 管, and 官, see Guan 1–3. 6. variant of Guang. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Jian, Mei, Fu, Guang, Guo, Guo Rong, Hong, Hui, Jian Ming, Lei, Li, Ping.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kuang in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kuang has seen a significant increase in popularity over a decade. In the year 2000, Kuang ranked 13,473 in terms of popularity and rose to 8,712 by 2010, marking an impressive growth of around 35.34%. The count of individuals with this surname also surged from 2,071 in 2000 to 3,767 in 2010, indicating an 81.89% rise. As such, the proportion of people named Kuang per 100,000 increased by 66.23%, going from 0.77 in 2000 to 1.28 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,473 | #8,712 | 35.34% |
| Count | 2,071 | 3,767 | 81.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.77 | 1.28 | 66.23% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kuang
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the vast majority of individuals with the surname Kuang identify as Asian or Pacific Islander. This group made up 98.31% of all Kuangs in 2000 and slightly increased to 98.38% by 2010. Interestingly, there was no record of Kuangs identifying with two or more races in 2000, but by 2010, this category emerged with a representation of 0.64%. There was a slight decrease in the number of Kuangs identifying as White, from 0.43% in 2000 to 0.19% in 2010, and a similar trend was seen among those identifying as Hispanic - decreasing from 0.92% to 0.53%. The presence of Kuangs identifying as Black was only recorded in 2010, while the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at 0.00% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 98.31% | 98.38% | 0.07% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0.64% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0.92% | 0.53% | -42.39% |
| Black | 0% | 0.27% | 0% |
| White | 0.43% | 0.19% | -55.81% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |