Poon
A surname found in several cultures, most commonly as a Chinese name in English usage and also as an unrelated English place-name surname in older records.
The #7,308 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,648 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Poon does not have a single certain origin in the English-language record. In English sources, it can appear as a rare surname connected with a place-name or as a variant spelling shaped by local pronunciation and medieval record-keeping. In Chinese use, Poon is a common romanization of several different surnames in Cantonese-based spelling traditions, so the same English spelling may represent more than one Chinese family line.
History
The historical excerpt provided does not actually explain the surname’s origin; it only contains a stray mention of a person named Poon in a medieval context. In modern English-speaking countries, Poon is especially familiar as a romanized Chinese surname, and the spelling can reflect Cantonese pronunciation rather than a single Chinese character. Because the same spelling can arise from different traditions, family history often depends on the specific ancestral language and region.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same spelling, Poon, can point to different Chinese surnames depending on the family’s dialect and romanization history.
From the historical record
“in his lands at Bin^'ham by Hugh I'agauel (Testa). The lordship wao poon after forfeited. Bobert, brother of Clement, and, in 120-j, Bichard, his son, obtained livery of Lis lands at Bingham (Hardy, Obi. et tin. 2'j<). He was brother of Bobert, Bishop of Sali.'^bury, and had issue \N'illiam and”
— The Norman People and their existing descendants in the British dominions and the United States