The Tong Family Name#

Family Name: Tong, pronounced as “tóng”

Distribution of the Tong Family Name#

Liaodong Commandery: In Chinese history, the term “Liaodong” had multiple meanings:

1. It referred to a commandery or kingdom; during the Warring States period, the Yan state established a commandery in Xiangping (present-day Liaoyang, Liaoning), which governed the area east of the Daling River in present-day Liaoning Province.
2. It was also the name of a military district; in the fourth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty (1371), the Dingliao Military Command was established and later renamed Liaodong Military Command in the eighth year of the Hongwu reign (1375), with its headquarters in Dingliao Zhongwei (present-day Liaoyang), governing most of Liaoning Province.
3. It was a military stronghold; one of the “Nine Borders” of the Ming dynasty, with its commander stationed in Guangning (present-day Beizhen, Liaoning), and later moved to Liaoyang in the first year of the Longqing reign (1567); this military organization was abolished by the end of the Ming dynasty.
4. It broadly referred to the region east of the Liao River.

Origins of the Tong Family Name#

The Tong family name originates from:

1. The Gui family name, descended from Zhonggu, a court historian from the late Xia dynasty, who changed his surname to reflect his ancestral name.
2. It was a Manchu family name derived from a place name; the Manchu ancestors lived in the Tungjia area and adopted the place name as their surname, with notable figures such as Tong Guogang and Tong Yangzheng.
3. It was also a Jurchen family name, for example, Tong Cang (also written as Tong Cang) from the Ming dynasty, the second son of Menggeteimuren, a Jurchen leader in the early Ming dynasty.
4. It originated from the Mongolian people and was later Sinicized.
5. It also originated from the Manchu people and was Sinicized.
6. It originated from the Xibe people and was Sinicized.

Ancestors of the Tong Family Name:
Zhonggu, Tong Menggeteimuren, Tong Cang (also written as Tong Cang or Tong Congcang), Tong Yangxing, and Tong Yangzheng. Zhonggu, a court historian during the late Xia dynasty and a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, saw the decline of the Xia dynasty and defected to the Shang dynasty, changing his surname to Tong to signify his separation from it. Being a respected and virtuous person, his descendants took his surname as their own, considering him the progenitor of the Tong family.

Migration and Distribution:
The Tong family is diverse in origin and ethnicity. In mainland China, it ranks 256th among the most common surnames, while in Taiwan Province, it ranks 307th. Its origins can be traced back to the Liaodong Commandery. During the late Eastern Jin dynasty and the Northern Yan period, a scholar named Tong Wan emerged from Liaodong, followed by a general named Tong Shou. With Liaodong as their stronghold, the Tong family gradually migrated south. In the Ming dynasty, the Tong family was mainly concentrated in Hebei Province. During the Qing dynasty, two empresses were from the Tong family, leading to the adoption of the Tungjia surname by Han people who joined the imperial forces; they later reverted to the Han surname Tong. The Tong family quickly spread throughout the Northeast and North China. Currently, there are approximately 280,000 people with the surname Tong, making it the 256th most common surname in China, accounting for about 0.022% of the national population. The largest concentration of Tong families is in Liaoning, accounting for about 40% of the total Tong population nationwide. Other significant populations are found in Heilongjiang, Hebei, and other provinces. The Tong family is particularly prevalent in regions such as Heilongjiang, Jilin, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, and Inner Mongolia, where their presence exceeds 0.06% of the local population in some areas, with the highest concentrations in these regions accounting for about 16.5% of the total national population.

Tong Family Halls (Hall Names):

• Liaodong Hall: Established based on the family's historical roots in Liaodong.
• Qingyou Hall: Information needs to be updated.
• Dongbai Hall: Information needs to be updated.
• Yumei Hall: Information needs to be updated.

Notable People with the Tong Surname:

• Tong Yangxing: From Kaoyuan during the late Ming dynasty, he moved to Fushun, joined the Later Jin dynasty, and served in the Han military. He was granted a high rank by Nurhachi and died of illness in the first year of the Shunzhi reign.
• Tong Tuli: Originally named Shengnian, he served in the Han military during the Qing dynasty and inherited his family's position. He led military campaigns and was posthumously honored for his contributions.
• Tong Guogang: The eldest son of Tong Tuli, he continued his father's legacy, was brave in battle, and died in the war. Kangxi emperor personally composed an elegy for him.
• Tong Shinan: A poet from Qing dynasty Liaodong, known for his elegant and expressive poetry, similar to Nalan Xingde.