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

Tongen, 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 Tongen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tongen in America

Tongen is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tongen surname appeared 171 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 Tongen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tongen 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 Tongen

The surname Tongen is of German origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Tongen, located in the historical region of Westphalia, in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name is derived from the Old German word "tungen," which means "tongue" or "promontory," referring to a tongue-shaped piece of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tongen can be found in the parish records of St. Martin's Church in Tongen, dating back to the late 16th century. These records mention several individuals with the surname, including Johannes Tongen, born in 1578, and his son, Heinrich Tongen, born in 1602.

The surname Tongen has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Tongenbach, a small town in the district of Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, and Tongenbach, a river in the same region. It is possible that some individuals with the surname Tongen may have adopted their name from these locations.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Tongen. One such person was Friedrich Tongen (1860-1938), a German-American architect who designed numerous buildings in New York City, including the iconic Flatiron Building. Another notable figure was Johann Tongen (1785-1864), a German writer and poet known for his works in the Romantic era.

Other individuals with the surname Tongen include:

1. Hendrik Tongen (1625-1692), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life paintings.
2. Wilhelm Tongen (1872-1945), a German politician and member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic.
3. Anna Tongen (1901-1986), a German-American artist and sculptor, best known for her bronze sculptures.
4. Christoph Tongen (1568-1627), a German composer and organist active during the Renaissance period.
5. Gerhard Tongen (1920-2002), a German-American engineer and inventor, known for his contributions to the aerospace industry.

While the surname Tongen is relatively uncommon, it holds a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with notable bearers contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tongen

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

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

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

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