Surname Overview
Tong is an ancient surname.
Tong Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 947,726Tong / T'ung
Origins
Ancient Origin
The Tong surname is traced to the descendants of Zhuanxu: Zhuanxu fathered Lao Tong, whose descendants took their surname from their grandfather's personal designation.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Shiben records that Zhuanxu married Nülu of the Tengfen clan and fathered Lao Tong; Lao Tong married Jiaofu of the Genshui clan and fathered Zhong, Li, and Wuhui.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Distribution
Before the Qin dynasty, the Tong surname was mainly active in Shandong. During the Qin and Han periods it spread south to Anhui and Henan and west to Shanxi; during the Tang and Song periods it reached Sichuan and advanced into Zhejiang and Fujian; by the Yuan and Ming periods it was distributed across southern regions.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Genealogical Generation Names
The Xiayuan branch in Suian uses the following generation-name sequence from the 48th generation: Zhi De Ming Shao Zu; Yong Cheng Jia Qing Long; Wen Liang Gong Jian Rang; Xiao You Yu Yu Kun; Hua Xing Yao Xian Ji; Xiang He Yan Jia Hong.
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Surname attestation references
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