Surname Overview
The surname Tong is recorded with the pronunciations tóng and tòng. It is widely distributed but has a small population.
Tong Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 21,920Tong / Tong
Origins
Origin in the Shang State of Tong
One branch originated from the Zi surname: descendants of the Shang royal family were enfeoffed in the state of Tong, and their descendants adopted Tong as their surname.
Descendants of Diantong
Another branch descended from Diantong, a histori official of the Zhou period, and took the official title as its surname source.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The origin is recorded as taking the state name as the surname in the Chunqiu Tu. Diantong as a Zhou official appears in the Zhouli, where the office was responsible for tuning musical instruments.
Migration and Distribution
Areas of Distribution
The Tong surname is found in Yuncheng, Shanxi, and in Hancheng, Fuping, Huaxian, Chengcheng, Sanyuan, Baishui, and Huizhou District of Xi'an in Shaanxi.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Historical figures include Tong Dianmin of Jinning in the Han period and Tong Shu of Fengyuan in the Yuan period. Tong Shu served as Left Adviser to the Crown Prince and later as Academician Reader of the Jixian Academy.
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