Find out how popular the last name Cheong is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cheong.

Cheong, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cheong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheong in America

Cheong is the 17072nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheong surname appeared 1,663 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cheong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheong to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cheong

The surname Cheong originates from China, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "qiong," which means "lofty" or "towering." The name was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of China, such as Guangdong and Fujian provinces.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the name Cheong appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, indicating its widespread use among the Chinese population. One notable mention is found in the "Zizhi Tongjian," a renowned historical work compiled by scholars during the Northern Song period.

The earliest recorded instances of the Cheong surname can be traced back to the 11th century. In the "Dongchuan Village Annals," a document dating back to the Song Dynasty, several individuals bearing the Cheong surname were listed as residents of the village.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Cheong Xingjian (1232-1298) gained recognition as a renowned poet and calligrapher during the Yuan Dynasty. His works were highly celebrated and influenced the literary and artistic realms of his time.

Another notable individual was Cheong Liang (1519-1592), a revered scholar and philosopher during the Ming Dynasty. His writings on Confucianism and ethics had a profound impact on intellectual discourse in imperial China.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the Cheong surname gained further prominence. Cheong Yiguang (1723-1807) was a respected statesman and advisor to the Qing court, known for his contributions to administrative reforms and policies.

In the 19th century, Cheong Fatt Tze (1840-1915), a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, made significant contributions to the development of infrastructure and education in various regions of Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore.

It is also worth noting that the Cheong surname has variants in its spelling and pronunciation across different regions and dialects. For instance, in Cantonese, it is often spelled as "Cheung," while in Hokkien, it may appear as "Tiang" or "Tiong."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheong

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cheong.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cheong was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cheong has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cheong was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cheong, please contact us.

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