Zhong
A Chinese surname usually written with the character Zhong, which can mean "middle" or "loyal/loyalty" depending on the character used historically.
The #6,754 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,860 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Zhong is a Chinese surname written with one of several possible characters, most commonly 钟/鐘 or 仲. The character 钟/鐘 originally referred to a bell, while 仲 can mean "second" or "middle sibling" and is also tied to the idea of "middle". Because Chinese surnames are tied to characters rather than just sounds, the exact original meaning depends on which Zhong family line is meant.
History
The surname has been used in China for many centuries and is found among Han Chinese communities and the wider Chinese diaspora. In modern romanization it is most often spelled Zhong in pinyin, though older systems and local dialects can produce very different spellings. As with many Chinese surnames, one English spelling may represent multiple unrelated lineages.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Chinese surnames are character-based, two people both spelled Zhong in English may have different ancestral characters and different family histories.