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cóngSeptember 28, 2025

从姓

The Cong Clan, originating from the Ji surname and Han general Cong Gong, traces back to the Zhou Dynasty's Marquis of Cong. It is a lesser-known surname from Dongguan Commandery in Shandong.

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The Cong Clan

Clan Name: Cong, pronounced as “cóng”

Distribution of the Cong Clan

The Dongguan Commandery was established in the first year of the Dashi era during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty (265 AD), corresponding to the areas of present-day Yishui and Ju counties in Shandong Province.

Origin of the Cong Clan

The origin of the Cong clan can be traced to two sources:

  1. It originates from the Ji surname, with the clan name derived from the name of a state. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the youngest son of King Ping was named Jingying and was granted the fief of Cong, located southeast of present-day Tongcheng in Anhui Province, where he was titled Marquis of Cong. His descendants adopted the name of the state as their clan name. After the Han Dynasty, the character for “wood” was removed, resulting in the clan name “Cong.”
  2. Another origin relates to descendants of a general named Cong Gong from the Han Dynasty, who adopted the name of their ancestor as their clan name. According to the “Yuanhe Xingzuan,” there was a general named Cong Gong during the Han Dynasty, and his descendants took his name as their clan name.

Ancestor of the Clan Cong Gong is considered the ancestor of the clan. According to the “Yuanhe Xingzuan,” he was a general from the Han Dynasty. The “Mingxian Shizu Yanxing Leigao” also mentions that Congyang was a place name, and ancestors adopted the name of the place as their clan name. Therefore, the Cong clan emerged from the ancient Cong surname, with the character for “wood” being removed to form the current name “Cong.” The prominent members of the clan resided in the Dongguan Commandery, which corresponds to the areas of Yishui and Ju counties in Shandong Province.

Distribution and Migration

The Cong clan is not among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. It originates from the Ji surname. During the ancient Zhou Dynasty, King Ping of Zhou granted his youngest son the fief of Cong (in the area of present-day Tongcheng, Anhui Province) and titled him Marquis of Cong. The descendants of the Marquis of Cong adopted the name of the fief as their clan name. In the Han Dynasty, a general named Cong Gong had descendants who took his name as their clan name.

Common Couplets for Cong Clan Ancestral Temples

  • Four-character couplet: “In the Ming Dynasty, bamboo was split; in the Han Dynasty, tokens were distributed.” This couplet refers to events related to Cong Long and Cong Cheng Gong.
  • Five-character couplet: “The governor changed the old customs; the general defended Xingyang.” The first line refers to Cong Long from the Ming Dynasty, who served as the governor of Mahaha and transformed the local customs after five years of governance. The second line refers to Cong Gong, a general under Liu Bang in the early Han Dynasty, who was tasked with defending Xingyang with the imperial censor Zhou Ke and was later killed by Xiang Yu.