Explore the Family Name Rong
The meaning of Rong
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 容, meaning ‘tolerate’ or ‘appearance’ in Chinese: (i) from Rong (容), the name of an ancient state (location unknown). (ii) from Rong (容), the name of a post in ancient China held by officials in charge of the management of rituals, ceremonies, and music. (iii) from the personal name of Rong Cheng (容成), an official during the reign of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc), who was said to be the inventor of the first Chinese calendar. (iv) from the personal name of Zhong Rong (仲容), an official during the reign of the legendary Emperor Shun (c.23rd century bc). (v) from Zi Rong (子容), style name of Nan Rong Shi (南容適), also called Nan Rong (南容), a student of Confucius (551–479 BC) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 戎, referring to ‘weapons, military’ or ‘tribes in western China’ in ancient Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of Song Weizi, founder of the state of Song during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) from Rong (戎), the name of a small state (located in Caoxian in Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) from Jiang Rong (姜戎), the name of a vassal state (located in present-day Shanxi province) of the state of Jin (located in present-day Shanxi province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 榮, meaning ‘thriving, prosperous’, or ‘glorious’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Rong Yuan (榮援), an official during the reign of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc), who made twelve large bells. (ii) from the placename Rong (榮), the name of a fief (located in Huxian in Shaanxi province) granted to Rong Bo (榮伯, the Earl of Rong), an official during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou (reigned 1042–1021 BC). (iii) from the placename Rong (榮), the name of a state (located in present-day Henan province) granted to Rong Yi Gong (榮夷公, Duke Yi of Rong), an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (iv) from the personal name of Rong Cheng Bo (榮成伯), a member of the royal family of the state of Lu (located in present-day Shandong province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (v) from the personal name of Rong Ji (榮季), also called Rong Huang (榮黃), an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 融, meaning ‘belching’ in ancient Chinese, said to be traced back to Zhu Rong (祝融), a legendary figure in charge of fire, who was said to be a descendant of the legendary king Zhuanxu (traditional dates: 2514–2437 BC). 5. In some cases also Norwegian: habitational name from a farm name in Hordaland related to rong ‘stern (of a boat)’. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Guang, Fang, Shuhong, Xiao, Zhao, Bai, Chen, Cheng, Ding, Guan, Guo, Han.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rong in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rong has increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Rong ranked 25,484th in terms of popularity and had a count of 911 people bearing the name. By 2010, the rank had improved to 18,910 and the count had grown to 1,444, representing a significant growth of 58.51%. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the surname Rong per 100,000 population also increased by 44.12% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,484 | #18,910 | 25.8% |
| Count | 911 | 1,444 | 58.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.34 | 0.49 | 44.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rong
In terms of ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Rong identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group represented a significant 90.45% in 2000 and grew to an even greater 94.94% by 2010. The second largest ethnic identity group were those identifying as White, although their representation decreased from 7.03% in 2000 to just 3.25% in 2010. Other groups such as those identifying as two or more races and those identifying as Hispanic also saw decreases, while the Black community saw growth from no representation in 2000 to 0.55% in 2010. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation remained static at 0% across both census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 90.45% | 94.94% | 4.96% |
| White | 7.03% | 3.25% | -53.77% |
| Two or More Races | 1.32% | 0.76% | -42.42% |
| Black | 0% | 0.55% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0.88% | 0.48% | -45.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |