Gurung (surname)

Gurung (Nepali: गुरुङ) is a common surname among people of the Gurung Tamu ethnic group in Bhutan, Nepal and India, as well as among other groups who are not ethnically Gurung (e.g. by some families of the Bhotiya in Dolpa). At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, 798,658 people (2.97% of the population of Nepal) identified as Gurung. Gurung people predominantly live around the Annapurna Region in Manang, Mustang, Dolpo, Kaski, Lamjung, Gorkha, Parbat and Syangja districts of Nepal. They are one of the main Gurkha tribes and have been established as one of the successful indigenous communities in Nepal. Most of the Gurung people serve in the military, farming, entertainment industry, business, and politics. The origin of the Gurung people can be traced back to Qiang people located in Qinghai, China.