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Tonga Family History

Tonga Surname Meaning

Filipino: occupational name derived from Tagalog tunga ‘to cultivate coconut trees’. Filipino: derivative of tunga a vocabulary word from the languages of central Philippines meaning ‘middle center’ hence a topographic name referring to the center of a place.

Polish: unexplained. This surname is very rare in Poland.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Tonga family from?

You can see how Tonga families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tonga family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Tonga families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 4 Tonga families living in Iowa. This was about 44% of all the recorded Tonga's in USA. Iowa had the highest population of Tonga families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tonga 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 Tonga ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Tonga. 60% of Tonga men worked as a Laborer.

View Census Data for Tonga | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    60%
  • Farmer
    40%

What Tonga family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Tonga. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tonga census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Tonga

Passenger Lists

There are 163 immigration records available for the last name Tonga. 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 Tonga immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 243 military records available for the last name Tonga. For the veterans among your Tonga ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tonga military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tonga family history

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What is the average Tonga lifespan?

Between 1966 and 2004, in the United States, Tonga life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1980, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Tonga in 1966 was 73, and 89 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tonga

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tonga 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Tonga family tree

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