Explore the Family Name Tong
The meaning of Tong
1. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 童, also an alternative Cantonese Romanization, meaning ‘children’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Lao Tong (老童), son of the legendary king Zhuanxu (traditional dates: 2514–2437 BC). (ii) from the personal name of Xu Tong (胥童), the name of an official in the state of Jin (located mainly in present-day Shanxi province) during the reign of the Duke Li of Jin (died 573 BC). 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 佟, also an alternative Cantonese Romanization: (i) from Zhong Gu, an official during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC), who submitted to the king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). His descendants inherited his name as the surname and later changed to 佟. (ii) traced back to the Jurchen ethnic group, the ancestors of the Manchus, originating in present-day Liaoning province in far northeastern China. 3. Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 仝: simplified form of another homophonous Chinese surname Tong (同), derived from an ancient state (located in Shaanxi province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) or an official post called Dian Tong (典同) in charge of royal musical instruments during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 桐, meaning ‘phoenix tree’ in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Tong Jun (桐君), a legendary figure during the reign of the legendary emperor Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc), who was said to be an expert in Chinese medicine. (ii) from Tong (桐), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Henan province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) from Tong (桐), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Tongcheng in Anhui province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), annexed by the state of Chu. 5. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 同, meaning ‘the same’ in Chinese: (i) from Tong (同), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Shaanxi province), which was a fief originally granted to the royal members during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) possibly from the second element of the post name Dian Tong (典同), the title of an official in charge of royal musical instruments during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). 6. Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 董 and 東, see Dong 1 and 2. 7. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 湯 and 唐, see Tang 1 and 2. 8. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 黨, see Dang 1. 9. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 曾, see Zeng. 10. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 張, based on the Gan dialect spoken in Jiangxi province, see Zhang 1. 11. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 莊, based on the Gan dialect spoken in Jiangxi province, see Zhuang. 12. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 鐘, see Zhong 1. 13. Vietnamese (Tông): from the Chinese surname 宗, see Zong. 14. Vietnamese (Tống): from the Chinese surname 宋, see Song 1. 15. Vietnamese (Tòng): from the Chinese surname 叢, see Cong 1. 16. English: variant of Tonge. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wing, Ming, Chi, Lai, Man, Hing, Hung, Kin, Kwan, Wen, Hong, Kam, Ping, Minh, Dang, Doan, Dung, Hoang, Lam, My, Trung, Tuan, Tung, Be.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tong in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Tong has shown a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname Tong moved up from 3074 in 2000 to 2730 in 2010, showing an improvement of 11.19%. In addition, the count of the surname increased by 22.08%, rising from 10809 in 2000 to 13196 in 2010. The proportion per 100k also increased by 11.47%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,074 | #2,730 | 11.19% |
| Count | 10,809 | 13,196 | 22.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.01 | 4.47 | 11.47% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tong
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that there has been a slight shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Tong between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Tong's identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 2.27%, from 79.46% in 2000 to 81.26% in 2010. At the same time, the percentage of Tong's identifying as White decreased by 15.23%, falling from 13.66% in 2000 to 11.58% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as having two or more races increased slightly by 3.36%, while the percentages of those identifying as Hispanic and Black saw little change. Lastly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a notable increase, albeit from a small number, by 40.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 79.46% | 81.26% | 2.27% |
| White | 13.66% | 11.58% | -15.23% |
| Two or More Races | 3.27% | 3.38% | 3.36% |
| Hispanic | 2.14% | 2.14% | 0% |
| Black | 1.38% | 1.51% | 9.42% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.1% | 0.14% | 40% |
Tong 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 Tong is Chinese, which comprises 60.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Vietnamese (11.7%) and British & Irish (8.9%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Chinese Dai, Korean, Scandinavian, and Manchurian & Mongolian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 60.9% |
| Vietnamese | 11.7% |
| British & Irish | 8.9% |
| Other | 18.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Tong
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 Tong have recent ancestry locations all within China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 49.00% |
| Shanghai, China | 46.80% |
| Fujian, China | 46.20% |
| Jiangsu, China | 46.20% |
| Shandong, China | 45.70% |
What Tong 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 Tong 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-F11 and O-CTS2498, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cheung, Ly, Wu, Lu, Pan, Yao, Hsu, Tang, Huang, Chan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Tong surname are: F1a1, H, 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 Hmong-Mien
Haplogroup F is particularly common in populations of Hmong-Mien speakers, one of the major language families in East Asia. This group includes the Lahu, Hmong, Lao, and Mien of southern China and Southeast Asia. Many of these groups are considered ethnic minorities in their countries, including in China, Vietnam, and Thailand.During the Vietnam War, from 1953 to 1975, the United States Central Intelligence Agency recruited many of the Hmong, Lao, Mien, and Lahu to fight for American interests in Laos against the North Vietnamese and the Pathet Lao. When the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao gained control of the region, members of the ethnic groups recruited by the US were targeted, forcing many of the Hmong-Mien to flee the country. Many refugees resettled in the United States, especially in California and along the western seaboard.
What do people with the surname Tong 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.
"Tong" Surname 37.0%
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.
"Tong" Surname 36.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Tong" Surname 14.9%
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.
"Tong" Surname 11.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Tong?
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 Tong are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition