Surname Tang - Meaning and Origin

Decoding the Tang Surname: An iGENEA DNA Test Journey into my Ancestral Roots

Diving into my personal history through the lens of science, I embarked on a journey with the iGENEA DNA Test to decipher the origin and migrations of my family's surname 'Tang'. The test has offered meticulous exploration into my genetic identity and painted a detailed picture of my ancestry, tracing it back to the Tang Dynasty in East Asia.

S. Tang

Tang: What does the surname Tang mean?

The surname Tang primarily carries a geographical significance, originating from the Tang Dynasty, an influential imperial dynasty of China. This dynasty is often considered a high point in Chinese civilization and a golden age of cosmopolitan culture. The name Tang may have been given to people who lived in or near this region or to commemorate the grandeur of the dynasty. It is also used to describe the great, expansive qualities, similar to the Dynasty's reputation. However, the interpretation can vary based on different cultures and languages. Fundamentally, Tang is one of the oldest and most common surnames in China, and amongst Chinese diaspora, reflecting a rich historical legacy.

Tang: Where does the name Tang come from?

The surname Tang is a common surname among family lines mostly found in Chinese and Southeast Asian countries. It is one of the most common surnames in China, accounting for approximately 4.7% of the country’s population. It originated from the royal family of the Zhou dynasty (1045 BC–256 BC) around the same time that the term “Tang” was used to describe the period when the Tang dynasty (618–907) flourished.

Today, while the Tang surname can still be found in China, it is most prominent in Southeast Asia. It is the most commonly found surname in Vietnam, with an estimated 600,000 people bearing the surname. In Singapore and Malaysia, it is also one of the top five surnames, representing about 1.8% and 5.4% of the population, respectively. It is a common surname in Thailand too, where the family line fled in the 18th century during political unrest.

The Tang surname is also found in other parts of the world. It is among the 100 most popular surnames in the United States and Canada, though much less common than in Asia. Elsewhere it can be found in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Tang

The Tang surname is one of the most commonly found Chinese surnames in the world, and is especially popular in China, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan. Tang is the Wade-Giles-Romanization spelling of the Chinese surname, which can also be spelled as Dong in the Hanyu Pinyin system.

Outside of the Mandarin pronunciation, Tang is a common surname in many other Chinese dialects, including Cantonese, Hakka, Taiwanese, and Hokkien. In Cantonese and other dialects, the spelling of Tang is often written as Tong.

The origin of the Tang surname is unclear, but it is believed to come from guó (国), meaning “country” or “state” in Chinese. It is believed that the Tang surname originated from the ruling family of a Chinese state, and its citizens adopted the name of the ruling family.

Variant and minor spellings and surnames of Tang include Tan, Dong, Tong, Don, Tanh, Thang, Teng, Tangs, Thai, Thang, Tonq, Tanq, and Tangd. Tang is also a Vietnamese surname, which is written as Tang in both Northern and Southern Vietnamese dialects. The Vietnamese spelling is the same as the Chinese spelling; however, the pronunciation of the surname is slightly different.

In some cases, the Tang surname is also used as an anglicized version of other Chinese surnames, including Don, Thong, and Tong. People from this surname also adopted other Chinese surnames in order to escape persecution or to fit in with typical Chinese naming conventions.

While the original spelling of the Tang surname may have been lost over the centuries, it is clear that the surname remains universally popular among Chinese, Southeast Asian, and Vietnamese populations today.

Famous people with the name Tang

• Tang Wei: Chinese actress
• Peter Tang: American multimedia artist
• Tang Chhin Sothy: Cambodian photographer
• Tang Tsz Ho: Hong Kong director
• Tang You-Chung: Taiwanese doctor
• Michael Tang: Singaporean musician
• Yang Tang: Chinese Aerospace engineer
• Siuemin Tang- Malaysian-Australian businesswoman
• Jason Tang: American news anchor
• Yung-Jen Tang: Taiwanese politician
• Haiguan Tang: Chinese aerospace engineer
• Nazuno Tang: Japanese musician
• Sun Kimong Tang: Cambodian entrepreneur
• Malem Tang: Cambodian poet
• Sing Tang: Malaysian entrepreneur
• Alexander Tang: American fashion designer
• Tang Yi: Chinese actress
• Jaden Tang: Canadian actor
• Tang Rong: Chinese pop singer
• Andy Tang: American karate champion
• Hugh Tang: Taiwanese singer
• Tang Wai Teck: Malaysian security guard
• Jian Tang: Canadian computer scientist
• Henry Tang: Hong Kong politician
• Tsai-Tang Tang: Taiwanese politician
• Hoi-Fei Tang: Macau educator
• Foo-Ming Tang: Hong Kong Cartoonist
• Kaei Tang: Japanese artist
• Mei-Fong Tang: Malaysian actress
• Yui Ki Tang: Hong Kong mixing engineer

Other surnames

TanTanakaTandlTandoganTanerTanglTanglinTanguayTaniguchiTannTannahillTanneTannebaumTannebergTannebergerTannehillTannenbaumTannenbergTannenbergerTannerTannhaeuserTannhausenTannhäuserTannheiserTannheuserTannigelTannihillTannochTannochyTannous