Explore the Family Name Sung

The meaning of Sung

1. Chinese: variant Mandarin or Cantonese Romanization of the surnames 宋 and 松, see Song 3 and 4. 2. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 崇, see Chong 2. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 沈, see Shen 1. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 成, see Cheng 2. 5. Korean: variant of Sŏng (see Song 2). Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Nak, Young, Jung, Sun, Eun, Jin, Kwang, Myung, Ying, Yoon, Ching, Chun. Korean Chang, Chong, Mi Kyung, Min, Moon, Myong, Baek, Bok Soon, Byung Joon, Chang Hyun, Chol, Dae.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Sung has seen a significant increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Sung ranked as the 5820th most popular name in the United States with 5439 individuals bearing the name. By 2010, Sung climbed up the ranks to 4801st position, which is an increase of 17.51%. The count also increased to 7360 bearers, marking a growth of 35.32%. This rise is represented by an increase in the proportion per 100k people from 2.02 to 2.5, an overall change of 23.76%.

20002010Change
Rank#5,820#4,80117.51%
Count5,4397,36035.32%
Proportion per 100k2.022.523.76%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sung

With respect to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Sung identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both 2000 and 2010. However, there was a slight decrease in this group from 94.69% to 94.14%. There was also a small decline in those identifying as two or more races, down by 0.53% from 1.89% in 2000 to 1.88% in 2010. On the other hand, there was a small increase among those identifying as White, from 2.35% to 2.65%, and Hispanic, from 0.81% to 0.90%. Interestingly, individuals identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native appeared in the 2010 data with proportions of 0.37% and 0.07% respectively; they were not recorded in the 2000 data.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander94.69%94.14%-0.58%
White2.35%2.65%12.77%
Two or More Races1.89%1.88%-0.53%
Hispanic0.81%0.9%11.11%
Black0%0.37%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.07%0%

Sung 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 Sung is Chinese, which comprises 57.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (28.0%) and British & Irish (3.2%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Spanish & Portuguese, Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, and Filipino & Austronesian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Chinese57.4%
Korean28.0%
British & Irish3.2%
Other11.5%
Sung

Possible origins of the surname Sung

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 Sung have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in China, and Taiwan.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Zhejiang, China42.00%
Fujian, China42.00%
Guangdong, China42.00%
Shandong, China41.30%
Shanghai, China41.30%

What Sung 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 Sung is O-F11, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F11 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F81 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: Fang, Ku, Qian, Uy, Liao, Choy, Xue, Wan, Tsao, Yen.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sung surname are: F1a, D5a_b, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

sungPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea

Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han

Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. 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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Sung 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

Sung

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Sung" Surname 25.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Sung

Misophonia

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

"Sung" Surname 46.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Sung

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Sung" Surname 20.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Sung

Migraine

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

"Sung" Surname 9.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Sung?

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 Sung 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%