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

Teng, 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 Teng surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Teng in America

Teng is the 9473rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Teng surname appeared 3,433 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 Teng.

We can also compare 2010 data for Teng 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 Teng

The surname Teng has its origins in China, with roots that can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). It was initially a single-character surname derived from the Chinese character "滕," which referred to a specific region in what is now Shandong Province.

In ancient Chinese records, the earliest known mention of the surname Teng appears in the Book of Han, a historical text that chronicles the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-9 AD). The text mentions individuals with the surname Teng who held various government positions during that era.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the surname Teng gained prominence, with several notable figures bearing this name. One such individual was Teng Xiayu (647-701 AD), a renowned calligrapher and poet who served as a minister during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian.

Another notable figure was Teng Shouzhi (979-1041 AD), a prominent Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher who played a significant role in reviving Confucian thought during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).

In the realm of literature, Teng Mu (1505-1572 AD) was a celebrated Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) playwright and novelist, best known for his work "The Peony Pavilion," a renowned romantic drama.

Moving forward in history, Teng Yun-shan (1830-1904 AD) was a prominent Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD) statesman and diplomat who served as the ambassador to various European countries, including France and Russia.

Beyond China, the surname Teng has also spread to other parts of the world, including Southeast Asia, where it has been adopted by ethnic Chinese communities. In Singapore, for instance, Teng Kee Hock (1899-1986) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to education and social welfare initiatives.

While the surname Teng may have evolved over time and across different regions, its Chinese roots and historical significance remain deeply ingrained in its legacy, reflecting the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of this ancient surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Teng

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

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

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

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