Explore the Family Name Gong
The meaning of Gong
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 龔, meaning ‘showing respect for elders or guests’ in ancient Chinese: adopted in place of another Chinese surname 共 (Gong in Mandarin pinyin). For some families, the surname is said to be traceable back to Gong Gong (共工), an official during the reign of the legendary Huang Di, or ‘the Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). Other families with this name are from the state of Gong (共), located in present-day Huixian (in Henan province), which was granted to Ji He, known as Gong Bo (the Earl of Gong), a figure during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). For other families, the surname is borne by descendants of Shen Sheng, a prince in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), with Gong as his posthumous title. His descendants inherited this title as their surname. Later, some descendants with the surname 共 changed their surname to 龔 in order to escape from persecution by their enemies. 2. Mandarin form of the surname 鞏, meaning ‘to consolidate’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Gong (鞏), the name of a fief or state (located in present-day Gongxian in Henan province), which is said to have been granted to Gong Jian Gong (鞏簡公, Duke Jian of Gong) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), later annexed by the state of Jin. (ii) traced back to a family from the Qiang minority ethnic group in ancient China. 3. Mandarin form of the surname 宮, meaning ‘royal palace’ in Chinese: (i) from Gong Men (宮門, literally meaning ‘palace gates’), the name of an official post during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC) in charge of repairing and cleaning the gates of the palace. (ii) from the personal name Gong Zhi Qi (宮之奇), an official in the state of Yu (located in present-day Shanxi province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) shortened form of other ancient compound Chinese surnames including Dong-Gong (東宮, literally meaning ‘the east of the palace’), Nan-Gong (南宮, literally meaning ‘the south of the palace’), Xi-Gong (西宮, literally meaning ‘the west of the palace’), and Bei-Gong (北宮, literally meaning ‘the north of the palace’). 4. Mandarin form of the surname 公, meaning ‘Duke’: from Gong (公), the Chinese equivalent of the peerage ‘Duke’. Some people inherited the name of the peerage of their ancestors as the surname. 5. Mandarin form of the surname 弓, meaning ‘bow’ in Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of Hui, a grandson of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). Hui was given the title Gong Zheng (弓正), denoting an official in charge of making bows. (弓 Gong means ‘bow’ in Chinese). (ii) from the second element of the personal name Shu Gong (叔弓), style name of an official in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 6. Mandarin form of the surname 貢, meaning ‘paying tribute to the emperor by subjects or vassal states’ in ancient Chinese: from the second element of the personal name Zi Gong (子貢), style name of Duan-Mu Ci, a student of Confucius (551–479 BC). 7. Mandarin form of the surname 恭, meaning ‘courtesy’ or ‘respectful’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Gong (恭, also written as 共), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Gansu province). (ii) from Gong (恭), the posthumous title of Shen Sheng (died in 656 BC), crown prince of the state of Jin who died in an unrest. (iii) adopted in place of another surname Jing (敬) that happened to be identical to the title of Emperor Jing of Liang (ruler of the state of Liang, 543–58 AD), which was taboo in ancient China. 8. alternative Cantonese form of the surname 江, see Jiang 1. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Jin, Min, Yan, Ying, Bin, Sing, Wai, Wing, Chang, Chung, Gang, Jiansheng, Kwong, Lai, Li, In Sook, Sung Do, Tian, Yiming, Yiu, Youn.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gong in the United States?
The surname Gong has seen a rise in popularity according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Gong held the rank of 6317 among popular surnames in the U.S., and by 2010 it had climbed to the 5702nd spot, representing a 9.74% increase over the decade. The number of people with this surname also grew, with 4,967 counts in 2000 rising to 6,079 in 2010 – a significant growth of 22.39%. This resulted in an increase in the proportion of Gong per 100k people in the U.S., from 1.84 in 2000 to 2.06 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,317 | #5,702 | 9.74% |
| Count | 4,967 | 6,079 | 22.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.84 | 2.06 | 11.96% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gong
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gong, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a notable shift. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation increased from 78.18% in 2000 to 88.88% in 2010 (a 13.69% growth), affirming the surname's prevalent association with this ethnicity. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as White dropped dramatically from 13.95% to 5.71%, a decrease of 59.07%. Those claiming two or more races also decreased from 4.09% to 3.24%. Interestingly, no one identified as Hispanic or Black with this surname in 2000, but by 2010, there was a slight representation of 1.48% identifying as Hispanic. The Black category and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories remained at 0% in both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 78.18% | 88.88% | 13.69% |
| White | 13.95% | 5.71% | -59.07% |
| Two or More Races | 4.09% | 3.24% | -20.78% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.48% | 0% |
| Black | 2.38% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Gong 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 Gong is Chinese, which comprises 78.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (4.0%) and British & Irish (2.8%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, Manchurian & Mongolian, and Japanese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 78.0% |
| Korean | 4.0% |
| British & Irish | 2.8% |
| Other | 15.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Gong
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 Gong have recent ancestry locations all within China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 35.00% |
| Jiangsu, China | 32.50% |
| Fujian, China | 32.50% |
| Zhejiang, China | 31.20% |
| Shandong, China | 30.80% |
What Gong 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 Gong is O-F838, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F838 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and O-F11, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Xu, Sun, Wang, Guo, Zhang, Wu, Li, Zhao, Zhou, Lu.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gong surname are: D4a, H, D4. 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 Yayoi people
Historical Japanese cultures developed from two waves of people migrating from the Asian continent. Hunter-gatherers arrived in Japan more than 12,000 years ago, perhaps during the last Ice Age, when a land bridge connected Japan to the Asian mainland. This influx of people led to a culture called the Jomon. The Jomon were followed by a second migration into Japan nearly 2,300 years ago. This migration, called the Yayoi expansion, brought one lineage of haplogroup O1b to Japan, along with wet rice agriculture, weaving techniques, and metalworking technology. Research suggests that the Yayoi people were descendants of prehistoric farmers that originated in Southeast Asia, and may be associated with the origin of agriculture in the region. The transition of people in Japan from hunter-gatherers to farmers may have been triggered around 400 BC by technological developments introduced by the Yayoi people, including cold-resistant varieties of rice, iron tools, and rice field irrigation.
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 Gong 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.
"Gong" Surname 24.1%
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.
"Gong" Surname 16.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gong" Surname 14.5%
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.
"Gong" Surname 5.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gong?
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 Gong are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition