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

Yong, 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 Yong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yong in America

Yong is the 10316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yong surname appeared 3,123 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 Yong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yong 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 Yong

The surname Yong has its origins in China, where it is a relatively common family name. It is derived from the Chinese word 'yong', which can mean 'brave', 'valiant', or 'eternal'. The name likely originated in the southern Chinese provinces during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Yong surname can be found in the Riguanzhi, a historical text from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD), which mentions a notable figure named Yong Jia. This suggests that the name was already well-established by that time.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), there were several prominent individuals with the Yong surname. Yong Xingzhi (1572-1624) was a renowned scholar and philosopher, while Yong Wenhuan (1575-1608) was a respected poet and calligrapher.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the Yong surname was associated with several influential figures. Yong Zhengxian (1775-1833) was a high-ranking official and scholar, while Yong Xiu (1623-1688) was a celebrated artist and poet.

In more recent history, Yong Pung How (1920-2005) was a prominent Singaporean businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, one of the leading music schools in Southeast Asia.

Another notable bearer of the Yong surname was Yong Mun Sen (1896-1962), a Malaysian politician and lawyer who played a significant role in the country's independence movement.

Overall, the Yong surname has a rich history in China, with many notable individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries. While its origins can be traced back to ancient times, it continues to be a widespread and respected family name in various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yong

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

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

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

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