NameCensus.

UK surname

Sung

A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Song, meaning "pine tree."

In the 1881 census there were 6 people recorded with the Sung surname, ranking it #32,926 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 612, ranked #8,580, up from #32,926 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, West Lancashire and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sung is 612 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10100.0%.

1881 census count

6

Ranked #32,926

Modern count

612

2016, ranked #8,580

Peak year

2016

612 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sung had 6 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,926 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 612 in 2016, ranked #8,580.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 38 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Sung surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sung surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sung surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sung over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1 #33,412
1861 historical 38 #29,216
1881 historical 6 #32,926
1891 historical 9 #33,451
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 421 #10,589
1998 modern 442 #10,547
1999 modern 460 #10,293
2000 modern 455 #10,340
2001 modern 459 #10,082
2002 modern 493 #9,728
2003 modern 497 #9,526
2004 modern 489 #9,652
2005 modern 516 #9,236
2006 modern 531 #9,063
2007 modern 531 #9,131
2008 modern 539 #9,098
2009 modern 564 #8,989
2010 modern 607 #8,710
2011 modern 578 #8,929
2012 modern 575 #8,877
2013 modern 589 #8,855
2014 modern 600 #8,807
2015 modern 601 #8,723
2016 modern 612 #8,580

Geography

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Where Sungs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, West Lancashire, Caerphilly, Barnsley and Liverpool. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 001 St. Helens
2 West Lancashire 001 West Lancashire
3 Caerphilly 020 Caerphilly
4 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
5 Liverpool 006 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sung

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sung surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sung

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sung, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Sung surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Sung household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Sung is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sung is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sung falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sung is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Chinese

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sung, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sung

The surname Sung originates from China and has been in use since ancient times. It is derived from the Chinese word "song," which means "pine" or "pine tree." The name was likely given to families living near or associated with pine trees or pine forests.

The Sung surname first appeared in historical records during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), which ruled over a unified China. It was a common surname in the central and eastern regions of the country, particularly in the provinces of Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sung can be found in the "Book of Han," a historical text written during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD). The book mentions a scholar named Sung Chien, who lived during the 2nd century AD and was known for his expertise in Confucian teachings.

During the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the Sung surname gained prominence with the rise of the Sung family of scholars and officials. One notable figure was Sung Lien (c. 1310–1381), a renowned calligrapher and poet who served as a high-ranking official under the Yuan Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the Sung surname was particularly common in the Zhejiang province. One famous individual from this era was Sung Ying-hsing (1587–1666), a renowned agronomist and author of the influential work "Tian Gong Kai Wu" (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature).

Another prominent figure with the Sung surname was Sung Tzu-wen (1718–1804), a Qing Dynasty scholar and calligrapher who was known for his mastery of the "running script" style of Chinese calligraphy.

In more recent history, the Sung surname has been carried by notable individuals such as Sung Jao-ren (1880–1939), a Chinese diplomat and politician who served as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of China, and Sung Tse-ven (1899–1971), a Chinese mathematician and educator known for his contributions to number theory and probability theory.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sung families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sung surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 6 Sungs recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 6 10.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 5 Sungs recorded in 1881 and an index of 106.38x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 5 106.38x
Limehouse London 1 156.25x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sung surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Henrietta 1
Margaret 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sung surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
AH 3
John 1
Peter 1
Sawa 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sung households.

FAQ

Sung surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sung surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6 people were recorded with the Sung surname. That placed it at #32,926 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sung surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 612 in 2016. That gives Sung a modern rank of #8,580.

What does the Sung surname mean?

A Korean surname derived from the Chinese surname Song, meaning "pine tree."

What does the Sung map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sung bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.