2000
#3,074
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,809
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.01
Uncommon Last name
Tong
A Chinese surname referring to a pavilion, hall, or someone who lived near one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,931 Americans carry the last name Tong. That puts it at #2,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,244 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tong surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,244
Census rank
#2,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,765 bearers of the surname Tong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tong
The surname Tong is believed to have originated in China, with references dating back to the 3rd century BCE. It is derived from the Chinese word "tóng" which means "copper" or "bronze." This suggests that the name may have been associated with those involved in metalworking or the production of bronze items.
In ancient Chinese records, the name Tong can be found in various historical texts and manuscripts. One notable mention is in the "Book of Han," a classical Chinese historical text from the 1st century BCE, which records the names of individuals with the surname Tong who held official positions during the Han Dynasty.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Tong can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). During this period, the name appeared in various official records and documents, indicating its widespread use among the Chinese population.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tong was Tong Guan (589-648 CE), a prominent Chinese poet and writer during the Tang Dynasty. Another notable figure was Tong Xuan (1593-1636 CE), a renowned Chinese philosopher and scholar during the Ming Dynasty.
In later periods, the surname Tong spread to other parts of Asia, including Vietnam and Korea. In Vietnam, the name is spelled as "Đồng," while in Korea, it is transcribed as "Tong" or "Dong."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Tong:
1. Tong Dizhou (1628-1684 CE), a Chinese mathematician and astronomer during the Qing Dynasty.
2. Tong Ling (1666-1723 CE), a Chinese novelist and playwright known for his work "The Romance of the Pie and Pastry Case."
3. Tong King (1912-1998), a prominent Chinese-American architect and urban planner.
4. Tong Enzheng (1935-1997), a Chinese novelist and poet, best known for his work "The Autobiography of a Book."
5. Tong Cungui (1592-1636 CE), a Chinese painter and calligrapher during the Ming Dynasty.
While the surname Tong has its roots in ancient China, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name found in various countries and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tong
Among Census respondents with the surname Tong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tong bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Tong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander82.4% · 12,170
- White10.1% · 1,487
- Two or more races3.5% · 521
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 312
- Black or African American1.8% · 263
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tong
Tong appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,730
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,196
+2,387 bearers (+22.1%)
Per 100,000 4.47
Rank movement Up 344 places
2020
#2,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,765
+1,569 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 4.94
Rank movement Up 321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,074 | 10,809 | 4.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,730 | 13,196 | 4.47 | +2,387 bearers (+22.1%) | Up 344 places |
| 2020 | #2,409 | 14,765 | 4.94 | +1,569 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 321 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Tong surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,730 | #2,409 | 11.8% |
| Count | 13,196 | 14,765 | 11.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.47 | 4.94 | 10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tong bearers went from 13,196 to 14,765 (+11.9% change). The surname moved up 321 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,730 to #2,409.
FAQ
Tong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tong?
Name Census estimates that about 16,931 living Americans carry the surname Tong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,244 residents.
How common is Tong?
Tong ranks #2,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,765 people with the surname Tong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,931), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Tong.
Has Tong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tong went from 13,196 recorded bearers to 14,765. That is an increase of 1,569 (+11.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,730 to #2,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Tong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (12,170 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (82.4%), White (10.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Tong (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Tong mean?
A Chinese surname referring to a pavilion, hall, or someone who lived near one. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Tong (4.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Tong?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.