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Tong Family History

Tong Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 童, also an alternative Cantonese Romanization, meaning ‘children’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Lao Tong (老童), son of the legendary king Zhuanxu (traditional dates: 2514–2437 BC). (ii) from the personal name of Xu Tong (胥童), the name of an official in the state of Jin (located mainly in present-day Shanxi province) during the reign of the Duke Li of Jin (died 573 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 佟, also an alternative Cantonese Romanization: (i) from Zhong Gu, an official during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC), who submitted to the king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). His descendants inherited his name as the surname and later changed to 佟. (ii) traced back to the Jurchen ethnic group, the ancestors of the Manchus, originating in present-day Liaoning province in far northeastern China.

Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 仝: simplified form of another homophonous Chinese surname Tong (同) derived from an ancient state (located in Shaanxi province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) or an official post called Dian Tong (典同) in charge of royal musical instruments during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 桐, meaning ‘phoenix tree’ in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Tong Jun (桐君), a legendary figure during the reign of the legendary emperor Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC), who was said to be an expert in Chinese medicine. (ii) from Tong (桐), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Henan province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 同, meaning ‘the same’ in Chinese: (i) from Tong (同), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Shaanxi province), which was a fief originally granted to the royal members during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) possibly from the second element of the post name Dian Tong (典同), the title of an official in charge of royal musical instruments during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Tong family from?

You can see how Tong families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tong family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tong families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 245 Tong families living in Lancashire. This was about 25% of all the recorded Tong's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Tong families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tong surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Tong ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Tong. 12% of Tong men worked as a Builders Labourer and 82% of Tong women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tong were Incapacitated and Domestic Duties Unpaid.

View Census Data for Tong | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Builders Labourer
    12%
  • Bricklayer
    9%
  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    2%

What Tong family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Tong. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tong census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tong

Passenger Lists

There are 32,000 immigration records available for the last name Tong. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Tong immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Tong. For the veterans among your Tong ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Tong family history

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What is the average Tong lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Tong life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Tong in 1952 was 52, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tong

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tong ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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