Gong
A surname that can reflect an East Asian name, especially Chinese, and in English contexts is also an occasional transferred or nickname-based form from the word for a gong.
The #5,702 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,789 Americans shares it.
Etymology
As a surname, Gong is most securely associated with Chinese family names written with the romanization Gong, though the exact Chinese character and meaning can vary. In English, the word gong is the familiar name of a struck metal percussion instrument, and some surnames may have arisen secondarily from that word as a nickname or occupational-style label. Because the same spelling can represent different origins, the surname is not always from one single source.
History
The spelling Gong is common in modern use as a romanization of several Chinese surnames, so many American bearers likely descend from Chinese immigrants or their descendants. The English word was already established long before modern surname indexing, but the historical excerpts provided do not show a clear English surname entry, only incidental mentions of the noun. As a result, the surname's history is best treated as mixed and potentially multiple in origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older English books, 'gong' appears not just as a surname but as a common noun for a striking instrument, which can make historical indexing of the name tricky.
From the historical record
“Fishline, Troutline, Bob, Sinker, Cage, Trap, Springe, Sling, Skates, Stilts, Dumbbell, Hoops, Teeter, Swing, - Clapper, Bell hammer. Bell, Gong, Phone, Bellfone.* Basket, Hamper, Pannier, Bucket, Pail, Wellpot, Dipper, Watergourd, Tubb, Keeler, Churn, Quern, Whetstone, Grind-”
— A Grammar of American Surnames