Interpretation of the Tong (佟) Totem

【Meaning】 The character Tong (佟) is used exclusively as a surname. It evolved from the character Zhong (终), which means "entirety" or "end." In Oracle Bone Script, Zhong resembled a human heel—signifying that the human body starts at the head and ends at the heel. It is the root for words meaning "from beginning to end" and is also related to the season of "Winter" (Dong / 冬). Historically, Zhong also referred to a type of tree known as the Wild Sour Jujube (also called Ox-thorn or Horse-thorn), a deciduous tree used entirely in traditional medicine. The Tong people lived in northern nomadic lands near mountains and water, where these thorn trees grew in abundance. They adopted the thorn tree as their original totem and Zhong as their clan name, eventually evolving the character into Tong.

【Origin】 The surname originated from the descendants of Zhong Gu, the Grand Historian (Taishi) during the end of the Xia Dynasty. As King Tang prepared to overthrow the Xia tyrant Jie, he recruited the virtuous and highly respected Zhong Gu to join the Shang Dynasty. Zhong Gu's descendants initially took his name as their surname, Zhonggu. Later, they simplified the character Zhong (终) by removing the "silk" radical to become Dong (冬). Finally, they added the "person" radical (人) to form the modern surname Tong (佟), making it one of the most ancient surnames in Chinese history.

Clan Archives

• Founding Ancestor: Taishi Zhong Gu (The Grand Historian who joined the Shang)

• Ancestral Birthplace: Shangqiu, Henan

• County & Hall Names: Liaodong; Qiyou Hall, Dongbai Hall, Yumei Hall

• Current Ranking / Population: 221st / Approximately 430,000

• Song Dynasty Rank: Unknown

• Existing Genealogies: 17 volumes