Explore the Family Name Myung

The meaning of Myung

Korean: variant of Myŏng. In 1363, Myŏn Ok-jin established the Ha (Summer) Kingdom between Korea’s Koryŏ Kingdom and China’s Yuan Kingdom and declared himself emperor. This was a time of shifting political alliances between Korea and China, and several such small kingdoms appeared on the borderlands between the two nations. Myŏng Ok-jin died in 1366 and his son, Myŏng Sŏng, ascended the throne of the Ha Kingdom. At this time, however, China’s Yuan nation was falling and the new Ming Dynasty seized the Ha kingdom’s territory. Myŏng Sŏng returned to Koryŏ and was given the right by the Koryŏ king to live in Songdo, Korea. Later, when the Koryŏ kingdom fell to the Chosŏn kingdom, Myŏng Sŭng associated with the Yi Dynasty’s founding king, Yi Sŏng-gye. Most members of present-day Myŏng family live in North Korea’s P’yŏnan North Province. Some characteristic forenames: Korean Kwang, Duk, Hong, Hyeong, Sang, Young, Yung, Chan Ho, Choon Ho, Chung, Duk Young, Eunha, Hae, Hwa Young, Hyo, Jaeyong, Jung Hee, Nam, Seoung, Sun Hee, Sung Jun, Youn.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Myung has seen a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Myung ranked 37,319th in popularity, but by 2010 it had risen to 31,994th, representing a 14.27% increase. The number of people bearing the surname also grew during this period, with a count of 562 in 2000 escalating to 721 in 2010, marking a 28.29% rise. The proportion of people named Myung per 100k similarly increased by 14.29%, moving from 0.21 to 0.24.

20002010Change
Rank#37,319#31,99414.27%
Count56272128.29%
Proportion per 100k0.210.2414.29%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Myung

Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the Myung surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, it is predominantly linked with the Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity, encompassing 96.53% in 2010, a minor decrease from 96.62% in 2000. People identifying as two or more races and bearing the surname Myung saw a substantial increase of 42.99%, rising from 1.07% in 2000 to 1.53% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White declined slightly from 1.96% to 1.94%. The Hispanic, Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native categories recorded no individuals carrying the surname Myung during both census years.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander96.62%96.53%-0.09%
White1.96%1.94%-1.02%
Two or More Races1.07%1.53%42.99%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%