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

Tongson, 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 Tongson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tongson in America

Tongson is the 75564th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tongson surname appeared 255 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 Tongson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tongson 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 Tongson

The surname Tongson has its origins in China, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "tong," which means "same" or "together," and "son," meaning "grandchild" or "descendant." This suggests that the name may have been used to identify a family or clan that lived together in the same area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tongson can be found in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) census records, where it appears as a variation of the more common spelling "Tong." During this period, the name was most prevalent in the southern regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Tongson surname gained more prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Tongson Zhiyuan (1516-1592), a scholar and poet who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court. His literary works and contributions to the development of Chinese poetry are still studied and celebrated today.

As Chinese immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the Tongson surname spread to various regions. In the 18th century, records show that a family by the name of Tongson had established themselves in the Philippines, where the surname took on a Spanish spelling variation, "Tongzon."

Another significant figure in the history of the Tongson surname was Tongson Xueqi (1824-1901), a renowned military leader and strategist during the Taiping Rebellion in China. His tactical brilliance and unwavering leadership earned him a place in the annals of Chinese military history.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Tongson surname began to appear more frequently in North America and Europe, as Chinese immigrants sought new opportunities in these regions. One notable individual from this period was Tongson Liang (1873-1929), a diplomat and politician who served as the first Chinese ambassador to the United States.

Throughout its rich history, the Tongson surname has been associated with various place names and localities in China, such as Tongzhou, a district in Beijing, and Tongshanxian, a county in Hebei province. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tongson

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

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

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

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