Explore the Family Name Tonga
The meaning of Tonga
1. Filipino: occupational name derived from Tagalog tunga ‘to cultivate coconut trees’. 2. Filipino: derivative of tunga, a vocabulary word from the languages of central Philippines, meaning ‘middle, center’, hence a topographic name referring to the center of a place. 3. Polish: unexplained. This surname is very rare in Poland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tonga in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Tonga has grown in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 43,546th in prevalence and by 2010, it had risen to rank 38,332nd - an increase of nearly 12%. The actual count of individuals with this surname also increased during this decade, from 467 to 578 people, a growth of approximately 24%. The proportion of people named Tonga per 100,000 residents similarly grew by around 18%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #43,546 | #38,332 | 11.97% |
| Count | 467 | 578 | 23.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.2 | 17.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tonga
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of people with the surname Tonga are of Asian/Pacific Islander descent, with a slight increase from 72.81% in 2000 to 74.57% in 2010. Those identifying as belonging to two or more ethnicities showed a marginal rise from 8.35% to 8.48%. However, there was a significant drop in the percentage of white individuals carrying the Tonga surname, moving down from 14.78% to 10.90%. Meanwhile, those who identify as Hispanic emerged in the 2010 data at 5.02%, where they were previously unreported. The proportion of Black individuals with this surname decreased by over half, from 2.14% to 1.04%. No American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals were recorded with this surname in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 72.81% | 74.57% | 2.42% |
| White | 14.78% | 10.9% | -26.25% |
| Two or More Races | 8.35% | 8.48% | 1.56% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 5.02% | 0% |
| Black | 2.14% | 1.04% | -51.4% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |