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

Pong, 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 Pong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pong in America

Pong is the 27869th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pong surname appeared 861 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pong 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 Pong

The surname PONG is believed to have originated from the Chinese language, where it is a phonetic transliteration of the Cantonese word "pong," which means "prosperous" or "abundant." Its roots can be traced back to the late 19th century in the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi in southern China.

The earliest recorded instances of the PONG surname in historical documents date back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). During this period, the name was predominantly found in village and clan records in the Pearl River Delta region, particularly in areas around Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and Shenzhen.

One of the earliest known mentions of the PONG surname appears in a genealogical record from the village of Shunde, near Guangzhou, in the late 1800s. This record lists several generations of a PONG family, with the earliest known ancestor being PONG Yat-san, born in 1812.

In the early 20th century, the PONG surname began to spread beyond southern China as individuals emigrated to other parts of the world. For instance, a notable figure was PONG Kwok-lam (1892-1977), a businessman and community leader who settled in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1920s.

Another notable PONG was PONG Tak-sun (1914-1988), a Hong Kong-based writer and journalist who played a significant role in promoting Cantonese literature and culture. His works, including novels, short stories, and essays, often explored the lives and experiences of the Cantonese diaspora.

In the realm of sports, PONG Chun-hong (1946-2022) was a renowned table tennis player from Hong Kong who represented the British colony in international competitions during the 1960s and 1970s. He won numerous titles and was instrumental in popularizing the sport, which had its origins in England but was perfected by Chinese players.

Beyond China and its diaspora, the PONG surname has also been found in other parts of Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, likely due to migration patterns and intermarriages between Chinese and local communities over the centuries.

One notable figure from Malaysia was PONG Chin-hua (1932-2014), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to education and social welfare organizations in the country.

While the PONG surname is most commonly associated with the Cantonese dialect and southern Chinese origins, its presence can be found in various parts of the world, reflecting the global reach of Chinese migration and cultural influences over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pong

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

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

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

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