Find out how popular the last name Wong is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wong.
A Chinese occupational surname referring to someone who does business or is a merchant or seller.
Wong, 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 Wong surname is from the 2010 census data.
Wong is the 274th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Wong surname appeared 111,371 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 38 people would have the surname Wong.
We can also compare 2010 data for Wong 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 274 | 277 | -1.09% |
Count | 111,371 | 99,392 | 11.37% |
Proportion per 100k | 37.76 | 36.84 | 2.47% |
The surname Wong has its origins in China, where it can be traced back to the 6th century. It is derived from the Cantonese word "wong," which means "king" or "yellow." The name was initially used to denote a person's status or physical appearance.
In ancient Chinese records, the name Wong appears in various forms, such as Huang, Hwang, and Wung. These variations were due to the different dialects and regional pronunciations across China. The name was particularly prevalent in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Wong can be found in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) records. During this period, a scholar named Wong Xuan (685-762 AD) gained recognition for his contributions to Confucian philosophy and literature.
As the Chinese empire expanded and trade routes developed, the Wong surname spread to other parts of Asia. In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Wong Hung (1441-1499) became a successful merchant and established trade connections between China and Southeast Asia.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the name Wong was also associated with several notable military leaders. Wong Cheng (1522-1590) was a renowned general who played a crucial role in suppressing rebellions and defending the empire's borders.
As Chinese immigration increased in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Wong surname became more widespread globally. One of the earliest recorded Wongs in the United States was Wong Aloy (1829-1904), a merchant who settled in San Francisco and helped establish the first Chinese community in the city.
In modern times, the Wong surname has been associated with various influential figures across different fields. Some notable examples include:
While the surname Wong has its roots in China, it has now become a global name, representing the rich cultural heritage and contributions of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wong.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wong was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 3.48% | 3,876 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.79% | 880 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 86.49% | 96,325 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.04% | 45 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 5.20% | 5,791 |
Hispanic Origin | 4.00% | 4,455 |
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 Wong has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 3.48% | 3.33% | 4.41% |
Black | 0.79% | 0.71% | 10.67% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 86.49% | 88.50% | -2.30% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.04% | 0.05% | -22.22% |
Two or More Races | 5.20% | 4.39% | 16.89% |
Hispanic | 4.00% | 3.02% | 27.92% |
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 Wong was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wong, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/wong-surname-popularity/">Wong last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Wong last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 9, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/wong-surname-popularity/.
"Wong last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/wong-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 October, 2024
Wong last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/wong-surname-popularity/.
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