Cong (surname)

Cong or Tsung is a unique Chinese surname. A very uncommon surname for Chinese, however, has unique origins.

Definition

Cong is a Chinese word meaning clump, thicket, bush, and/or shrubbery. The word is also a measure word for flowers however has been informally used for a group of people or things.

The original meaning of the word was "Intelligent."

Background

Cong surname is the name of a relatively small population in Chinese and aboard. Not to be confused with other "congs" like the Vietnamese one. The surname is said to be from a group of people in the city of Wendeng in China's Shandong province. In Mongolia and other nations there are persons with the surname Cong.

Historical origins

The Congs are originally of Xiongnu origin. They trace their ancestry to King Xiutu of the Xiongnu. In 121 BC, Xiongnu King Hunxie killed King Xiutu when Xiutu refused to surrender to the Chinese with Hunxie. The fourteen-year-old Crown Prince was taken to China and raised as a stable hand. One day, when Emperor Wu of Han was inspecting the horses with his wives, all the servants were mesmerized by the royal entourage, except for Midi. Emperor Wu of Han took favor of the prince and granted him the Chinese surname , meaning gold, because the prince used to make sacrifices with golden statues as a part of the Xiongnu rituals.

Jin Midi and his descendants later rose to prominent positions in the Han court. However, due to dynastic changes, the descendants of Jin Midi were persecuted for their royalist ties to the Han Dynasty. The Jins escaped and after over forty years of wandering, they eventually arrived at Cong Hill in Buye, modern day Wendeng, Shandong Province, and changed their surname to Cong.

Rank

Cong is ranked as the 127th most popular Chinese surname. The population with the surname Cong tend to be more concentrated in the northern regions of China.

People with the last name Cong accounts for about 0.1% of Han population.

Sources

Most of the information for this article was found on the following sites:
*http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/4639296.html
*http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/4639296.html
*http://www.congshi.net/