Explore the Family Name Seng

The meaning of Seng

1. South German: topographic name for someone who lived by land cleared by fire, from Middle High German sengen ‘to singe or burn’. In some cases this may also be a habitational name from a place so named in Bavaria. 2. Cambodian: written សេង, probably from a Khmer word meaning ‘to multiply’, which is of Chinese origin. សេង is also the Khmer spelling of a Chinese surname, most likely 盛, which has similar meaning (see Sheng, compare 4 below). 3. Burmese (Kachin): from a name element originally forming part of a compound personal name, of unexplained etymology. A homonymous name is also found among the Shan people. — Note: Since Kachins and Shans do not have hereditary surnames, this name element was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 盛, see Sheng. 5. Chinese: alternative Cantonese form of the surname 成, see Cheng 2. 6. Chinese: Hokkien or Teochew form of the surname 辛, see Xin 1. 7. Chinese: Hokkien or Teochew form of the surname 孫, see Sun 1.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Seng in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Seng has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 8457th, but by 2010 it had climbed to 7311th, reflecting a 13.55% rise. The number of individuals carrying the Seng surname also swelled from 3588 in 2000 to 4563 in 2010, marking an impressive 27.17% growth. Moreover, the proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people rose by 16.54%, from 1.33 in 2000 to 1.55 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#8,457#7,31113.55%
Count3,5884,56327.17%
Proportion per 100k1.331.5516.54%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Seng

The ethnic identity associated with the Seng surname has likewise evolved, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, nearly half of those with the Seng surname identified as either Asian/Pacific Islander or White, at 46.38% and 45.07%, respectively. However, by 2010, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander had increased to 54.83%, while the percentage of Whites dropped to 37.56%. Meanwhile, those reporting two or more races decreased dramatically from 3.76% to 1.78%. The Hispanic representation noted a slight rise from 4.38% in 2000 to 5.19% in 2010. No change was observed in the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, with the data showing zero percentage in both 2000 and 2010.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander46.38%54.83%18.22%
White45.07%37.56%-16.66%
Hispanic4.38%5.19%18.49%
Two or More Races3.76%1.78%-52.66%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%

Seng 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 Seng is French & German, which comprises 21.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (20.8%) and Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma (18.2%). Additional ancestries include Chinese, Vietnamese, Scandinavian, Eastern European, and Chinese Dai.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
French & German21.4%
British & Irish20.8%
Indonesian, Thai, Khmer & Myanma18.2%
Other39.6%
Seng

Possible origins of the surname Seng

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 Seng have recent ancestry locations in China and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Fujian, China42.00%
Guangdong, China42.00%
Zhejiang, China40.90%
Jiangsu, China39.80%
Shandong, China39.80%

What Seng 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 Seng is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Seng surname are: M, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

sengPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham

One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Seng 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

Seng

Vanilla Ice Cream

Prefers vanilla flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Seng" Surname 45.0%

23andMe Users 36.7%

Habits

Seng

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Seng" Surname 26.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Seng

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Seng" Surname 12.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Seng?

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 Seng are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

French & German 60.8%

23andMe Users 57.2%