2000
#6,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,967
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Gong
A Chinese surname referring to a musical instrument, occupation, or physical features like height, appearance, or bearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,194 Americans carry the last name Gong. That puts it at #4,278 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,280 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gong surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,280
Census rank
#4,278
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,018 bearers of the surname Gong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4278th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gong
The surname GONG is of Chinese origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 6th century AD. It is believed to have originated from the pronunciation of the Chinese character "龚" (gong), which was initially used as a single character surname in various regions of ancient China.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the GONG surname was prominently documented in historical records, particularly in regions such as Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong provinces. It was often associated with scholarly and intellectual pursuits, as many GONG individuals held esteemed positions within the imperial bureaucracy and educational institutions of the time.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the GONG surname was Gong Sui (596-658 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher from Shandong province. His literary works and calligraphic styles were highly regarded during the Tang Dynasty and influenced subsequent generations of scholars and artists.
In the 10th century, the GONG surname gained further prominence with the rise of Gong Yu (984-1063 AD), a celebrated military strategist and statesman who served under the Song Dynasty. His military victories and administrative reforms left a lasting impact on the political landscape of the time.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the GONG surname was also associated with the influential Gong family from Jiangxi province. This family produced several prominent scholars and officials, including Gong Xingzu (1619-1689 AD), a renowned philosopher and essayist whose works explored Confucian ideals and moral principles.
Another notable figure was Gong Zizhen (1792-1841 AD), a celebrated poet and scholar from Sichuan province during the Qing Dynasty. His poetic works and literary critiques were highly regarded, and he was known for his mastery of the traditional Chinese literary styles.
The GONG surname can also be found in historical records from other regions, such as Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces, indicating its widespread distribution throughout ancient China. Over the centuries, the GONG surname has maintained its cultural significance and continues to be a respected name within the Chinese community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gong
Among Census respondents with the surname Gong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gong bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.9% · 7,291
- White3.7% · 296
- Two or more races3.5% · 283
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 97
- Black or African American0.6% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gong
Gong appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,079
+1,112 bearers (+22.4%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Up 615 places
2020
#4,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,018
+1,939 bearers (+31.9%)
Per 100,000 2.68
Rank movement Up 1,424 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,317 | 4,967 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,702 | 6,079 | 2.06 | +1,112 bearers (+22.4%) | Up 615 places |
| 2020 | #4,278 | 8,018 | 2.68 | +1,939 bearers (+31.9%) | Up 1,424 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gong surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,702 | #4,278 | 25.0% |
| Count | 6,079 | 8,018 | 31.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.06 | 2.68 | 30.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gong bearers went from 6,079 to 8,018 (+31.9% change). The surname moved up 1,424 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,702 to #4,278.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gong
FAQ
Gong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gong?
Name Census estimates that about 9,194 living Americans carry the surname Gong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,280 residents.
How common is Gong?
Gong ranks #4,278 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,018 people with the surname Gong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gong.
Has Gong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gong went from 6,079 recorded bearers to 8,018. That is an increase of 1,939 (+31.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,702 to #4,278.
What does the Census say about the background of Gong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gong, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (7,291 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.9%), White (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gong (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gong mean?
A Chinese surname referring to a musical instrument, occupation, or physical features like height, appearance, or bearing. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gong (2.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Gong?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Gong, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.