Surname Overview
A Common and Widely Distributed Surname
Dong is a common surname today and is widely distributed. It accounts for about 0.61% of China's Han population and ranks 29th.
Dong Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 6,305,008Dong / Tung
Origins
Two Main Origins
Dong has two main origins: one arose from the Dong lineage associated with the Huilian clan and Liaoshu'an; the other came from the Si surname, whose descendants adopted Dong after receiving territory in the former Dong state's area.
Historical Records
Regional Records in the Qin and Han Periods
By the Qin and Han periods, the Dong surname was already distributed across many northern areas, with associated figures recorded in Guangchuan and regions corresponding to present-day Shaanxi, Henan, Hebei, Gansu, and Jiangsu.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
The principal Dong commanderies include Jiyin, Longxi, and Dai. Hall names include Zhibi, Liangshi, and Long; Zhibi and Liangshi derive from Dong Hu, the Jin state historian of the Spring and Autumn period.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Migration and Population Centers
Before the Qin period, Dong mainly lived in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and southern Gansu. During the Qin and Han periods it expanded toward Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu-Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Sichuan; during the Song, Yuan, and Ming periods, its population mainly moved from the north toward the southeast.
Notable People
Representative Historical Figures
Notable historical figures surnamed Dong include Dong Hu, a Jin state historian of the Spring and Autumn period; Dong Zhongshu, a Western Han philosopher and Confucian scholar; Dong Xuan, an Eastern Han official; Dong Yun, a Shu Han minister; Dong Jin, a Tang chancellor; and Dong Qichang, a Ming painter.
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