Explore the Family Name Chong
The meaning of Chong
1. Korean (Chŏng): written 정, in Chinese characters 鄭, 丁, and 程. There are actually eight Chinese characters used to represent the surname Chŏng, which is one of the most common Korean surnames, but the clans that use five of these characters are extremely small. The characters 丁 and 程 are mainly found in Chŏlla province. (i) The clan, which uses the Chinese character 丁, is descended from a Chinese Tang Dynasty minister named Tŏk-sŏng (徳盛), who immigrated to Korea and settled on Aphae Island in Shinan county, Chŏlla South Province. (ii) The clan bearing the surname 程 is believed to be descended from Chinese immigrants, but further details are not known. The founding ancestor of the Han San Chŏng clan was called Chŏng Hoe (程 淮). (iii) The most common of the three more numerous clans, which uses the Chinese character 鄭, is the oldest and is widely distributed throughout the peninsula. It is probably of Chinese origin, too. Some sources indicate that there are 215 separate Chŏng clans, but only 32 of them can be documented. The earliest and largest Chŏng clan began in 32 AD when Chibaekho, one of the six ruling elders of pre-Shilla Korea, received the surname of Chŏng from the Shilla King Yuri Isagŭm (24–57 AD). Compare Cheong 5, Choung 1, Chung 11, Jeong 1, Jong 1, Joung, Jun 1, and Jung 10. 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 崇: from Chong (崇), the name of an ancient state (located in Songxian in Henan province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 种, adopted in place of another Chinese surname Zhong (仲) by the descendants of Zhong Shanfu (仲山甫), an official during the reign of King Xuan of Zhou (reigned 827–782 BC), in order to escape from the feud. 4. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 莊, see Zhuang. 5. Chinese: variant Cantonese form of the surnames 鐘 and 仲, see Zhong 1 and 2. 6. Chinese: variant Cantonese form of the surname 宗, see Zong. 7. Chinese: variant Cantonese form of the surname 叢, see Cong 1. 8. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 臧, see Zang. 9. Chinese: Hakka form of the Chinese surnames 張 and 章, see Zhang 1 and 2. Hakka Chinese is spoken in southern China and certain other parts of Southeast Asia. 10. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 蔣, see Jiang 2. 11. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鄭, see Zheng 1. 12. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曾 see Zeng. 13. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 蒼 and 倉, see Cang. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Yong, Sun, Young, Kyong, Sang, Hyon, Kwang, Chae, Dong, Chin, Chun, Song. Korean Chong, Hae, Min, Chang, Byung, Chol, Myong, Chung, Pak, Pyong, Chong Su, Dae.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Chong in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Chong has seen a steady increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank improved from 2561 to 2392, marking an upturn of 6.6%. The count also increased significantly by approximately 16.72%, from 12,976 in 2000 to 15,146 in 2010. This rise is reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which went up by 6.65% to reach 5.13 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,561 | #2,392 | 6.6% |
| Count | 12,976 | 15,146 | 16.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.81 | 5.13 | 6.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chong
The same U.S. Census data shows a shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Chong during the same period. A majority of individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both years, though there was a slight decrease from 82.77% to 78.89%. Those identifying as belonging to two or more races increased by 32.49%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw a rise of 28.13%. The percentage of people identifying as white stayed relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 3.23% to 3.20%. There was also a small increase in Black identification, moving from 1.58% to 1.72%. Interestingly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a significant percentage change, doubling from 0.05% to 0.10%, albeit these percentages represent a very small portion of individuals bearing the surname Chong.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 82.77% | 78.89% | -4.69% |
| Hispanic | 6.86% | 8.79% | 28.13% |
| Two or More Races | 5.51% | 7.3% | 32.49% |
| White | 3.23% | 3.2% | -0.93% |
| Black | 1.58% | 1.72% | 8.86% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.05% | 0.1% | 100% |
Chong ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Chong is Chinese, which comprises 48.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (18.1%) and British & Irish (6.1%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Japanese, Spanish & Portuguese, Filipino & Austronesian, and Chinese Dai.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 48.9% |
| Korean | 18.1% |
| British & Irish | 6.1% |
| Other | 26.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Chong
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Chong have recent ancestry locations in China and South Korea.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 59.30% |
| Fujian, China | 51.70% |
| Jiangsu, China | 50.70% |
| Shandong, China | 49.90% |
| Shanghai, China | 49.60% |
What Chong haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Chong is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-M307.1 and O-Page23, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wu, Huang, Chang, Chan, Ma, Cheung, Hong, Wong, Su, Lu.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Chong surname are: H, D4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Chong have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Chong" Surname 39.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Chong" Surname 14.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Chong" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Chong" Surname 12.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Chong?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Chong are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition