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

Fong, 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 Fong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fong in America

Fong is the 2018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fong surname appeared 17,889 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Fong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fong 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 Fong

The surname FONG is of Chinese origin and is believed to have its roots in the southern regions of China, particularly in the Cantonese-speaking areas. It is likely derived from the Chinese characters 方 (fong), which can mean "square" or "direction".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), where it appeared in historical records and manuscripts. During this time, it was often associated with scholars and officials from the southern provinces.

In the 13th century, the FONG surname was notably mentioned in the "Zizhi Tongjian" (资治通鉴), a prestigious historical work that documented the history of China from 403 BC to 959 AD. This reference solidified the presence of the name during that era.

As the centuries passed, the FONG surname spread across various regions of China, with some individuals bearing the name becoming prominent figures in their respective fields. One such individual was FONG Shao-yi (1636-1704), a renowned scholar and philosopher from Jiangxi Province during the Qing Dynasty.

In the 19th century, the FONG surname gained international recognition when FONG Tuck-Woh (1828-1914), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Guangdong Province, established successful trading companies in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Another notable figure was FONG Poy (1857-1919), a Chinese-American entrepreneur and community leader who played a significant role in the development of San Francisco's Chinatown in the late 19th century.

During the early 20th century, FONG Sec (1901-1971), a Chinese-American artist and writer, gained acclaim for his literary works and his contributions to promoting Chinese culture in the United States.

The FONG surname has also been associated with various place names in China, such as Fongshan District in Guangdong Province and Fongcheng County in Hebei Province, further solidifying its historical roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fong

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

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 Fong 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 Fong 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 Fong was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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