kung

Kung is a term that can refer to more than one linguistic use. As a surname, it is used in Chinese contexts as an alternate spelling of the surname 孔. In modern pinyin the surname is Kong, but some families and historical texts have rendered it as Kung. It may reflect other Chinese surnames with different characters depending on regional pronunciation and immigration. The surname occurs among Chinese diaspora communities, especially in Southeast Asia and the Western world.

In Thai, kung (กุ้ง) is the common noun for shrimp and appears widely in Thai cuisine and menus.

Outside of language specifics, Kung can appear as part of personal names or place names through transliteration from different languages. Because romanization varies, the same name may appear as Kong, Gong, K’ung, or Kung in different sources. The term does not have a single, universally accepted meaning beyond these transliteration-based uses, and its interpretation depends on linguistic and cultural context.