Pun is a surname. It may be: A surname of the Magar people in Nepal An English surname of unexplained origin A Cantonese spelling of the Chinese surname transcribed as Pān in Hanyu Pinyin (). This surname has deep historical roots, dating back to the noble family Pan Chong of Chu, from a cadet branch of the ruling House of Mi, and Ji Sun, a descendant of King Wen of Zhou.
According to statistics cited by Patrick Hanks, there were 783 people with this surname on the island of Great Britain and six on the island of Ireland as of 2011. However, community estimates suggest the actual number of Pun in the UK is likely between 5,000 and 10,000—and potentially much higher—due to many Pun Gurkha families using only sub-clan names instead of 'Pun' and the arrival of many Pun—both HK-Chinese and HK-Nepalese—British National (Overseas) / BNO passport holders from Hong Kong. The 2010 United States census found 1,197 people with the surname Pun, making it the 21,736th-most-common name in the country. This represented an increase from 861 people (26,614th-most-common) in the 2000 census. In both censuses, more than four-fifths of the bearers of the surname identified as Asian.
Notable people with this surname include: Kabir Pun, IOM, Nepali, Gorkha Havildar (British Indian Army) received the Indian Order of Merit (1st class) —equivalent to the Victoria Cross as native soldier were not eligible for VC until the World War 1— during the British expedition to Tibet (1903–4), Pun and Grant broke the wall of Gyantse Dzong and captured Gyantse Fortress. (Pun and Grant's actions are described in Grant's VC citation - Treaty of Lhasa 1904) Tul Bahadur Pun, VC (1923–2011), Nepali, Royal Gurkha Rifles (British Gurkha soldier), Honorary Lieutenant, recipient of the Victoria Cross and Burma Star. He was from Myagdi district, Nepal Lalbahadur Pun, OBE, MC (1937–2026), Nepalese—First Gurkha Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army—Commander of the Gurkha Brigade Training Depot in Hong Kong, and recipient of the Military Cross and OBE. He was from Myagdi. Om Prasad Pun (born 1942), Nepali boxer Narayan Singh Pun (1949–2008), Nepali politician, former cabinet minister, former King's trusted minister and royal chief negotiator, pilot (helicopter Wing Commander and chief training officer) Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Nepal Army, founding President of Nepal Samata Party. He was born in Myagdi, Nepal Serge Pun (; born 1953), Burmese businessman of Chinese descent—a prominent multi-national real estate and banking billionaire—and founder of Yoma Bank (one of Burma's largest private banks) and Serge Pun & Associates (SPA Group) in Hong Kong and Myanmar. Dr Mahabir Pun (born 1955), Nepal's former Interim Education Minister, scientist, teacher, activist, social entrepreneur, Magsaysay Award (Asian Nobel Prize) winner for extending wireless technologies in rural parts of Nepal, internet pioneer and Founder of the National Innovation Center (NIC) of Nepal. He is from Myagdi district. Pun Kwok-shan (; born 1961), Hong Kong politician Nanda Kishor Pun (born 1966), Nepali politician, First Vice President of Nepal—under the 2015 Constitution—and former Chief Commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Barsaman Pun (born 1971), Nepali politician, leader from Rolpa—Maoist heartland of Magar village—two-time Finance Minister, former Energy Minister, senior leader of the Nepali Communist Party (Maoist-Centre) and former PLA deputy commander during Nepal Civil War. Amar Singh Pun, Nepali politician and key figure from Rolpa District, former Minister of State for Irrigation and President of the Nepali Congress, Lumbini Province Dipprasad Pun, CGC (born 1980), Nepali sergeant of the Royal Gurkha Rifles (British Army), is the first Gurkha to be awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for bravery in the 21st century. He is from Myagdi district, Nepal Sagar Pun (born 1993), Nepali cricketer Pun Wai-yan (; born 1995), Hong Kong rugby union player Raymond Pun (), American research librarian Pun Ngai, Hong Kong sociologist and professor, and the first Asian scholar to receive the C. Wright Mills Award in 2005 for her book Made in China: Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace. Pun Sing-lui (), Hong Kong performance artist Suzie Pun, American bioengineer Anthony Pun, Hong Kong film-maker, Pun won Best Cinematography at the 42nd Golden Horse Awards for Divergence (2005). He also won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Cinematography twice, for The Silent War (2012) and The Goldfinger (2003)
See also Zein Pun (1295–1330), King of Martaban (Burma) for one week in 1330Burmese names do not have surnames
Mythology Pun Tao Kong (or Pun Tao Ma), a tutelary Deity or Goddess in Chinese folk religion, is highly regarded by overseas Chinese, and his shrines exist in many countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore. As Pun Tao Ma, this Goddess acts as a tutelary protector.
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