Kong
Usually a Chinese surname, especially common among families whose names were romanized from southern Chinese varieties.
The #2,551 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,796 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kong is most commonly a romanization of a Chinese family name, especially the surname written 孔 in Chinese. The character 孔 is historically associated with the ancient name Kongzi, better known in the West as Confucius, whose family name was Kong. In English-language records, Kong can also reflect different Chinese dialect spellings and romanization practices, so the same spelling may represent more than one original pronunciation.
History
The surname is best known worldwide through the Confucian tradition and through later Chinese migration. In overseas records it became common as a fixed Roman-letter spelling for families from different Chinese-speaking regions. Because romanization varied by place and time, the same spelling may conceal several local forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname Kong is the family name of Confucius in Chinese tradition.
From the historical record
“Hen. VIII., this Richard is written Awmoke, and still later Hawiuoke. It is worth recording that " Almack riace," in Hong Kong, wae named after William A., one of the founders of the city of Victoria in that Colony, who died on his voyage fi-om China in 1846. The founder of the celebrated Alraack's l?ooms was of a…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom