Our answer
China’s 25th most common surname 唐
A surname tradition links to the legendary Emperor Yao and to the Zhou-era state of Tang
The short answer
Tang (唐, Táng) is a Chinese surname ranked 25th in China by the Ministry of Public Security in 2019. The character also names the Tang dynasty (618–907); tradition traces the surname to the legendary Emperor Yao and to the ancient state of Tang. In Cantonese it is spelled Tong. A different surname, 汤 (Tāng), is also written Tang.
| In Chinese | 唐 (the same in simplified and traditional characters) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Táng (second, rising tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | 25th, Ministry of Public Security list of the 100 most common surnames |
| Other spellings | T’ang (Wade–Giles), Tong (Cantonese), Teng (Philippines), Đường (Vietnamese), Dang (Korean, 당) |
| Meaning of the character | The name of the Tang dynasty (618–907); in legend, the name of Emperor Yao’s clan, Taotang |
| Largest in | Hunan, the province with the most people named Tang (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
| Population | About 9.17 million, 0.69% of China’s population (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
Origins of the Tang surname
Tradition gives two main sources for the name. The first is Emperor Yao (尧), one of the legendary sage kings, whose clan was called Taotang (陶唐氏); he is also known as Tang Yao (唐尧). His descendants are said to have shortened Taotang to Tang.
The second is the state of Tang in the early Zhou dynasty. A well-known story tells how the young King Cheng of Zhou, playing with his younger brother Shu Yu (叔虞), cut a paulownia leaf into the shape of a jade tablet and handed it to him as a mock grant of land. Shu Yu was duly made lord of Tang, and Shu Yu’s descendants took Tang as their clan name.
Smaller streams joined later: compound surnames such as Tangshan (唐山) and Nantang (南唐) were shortened to Tang, and in the Five Dynasties period a nephew of Wang Shenzhi, ruler of Min, is said to have changed his surname to Tang. The character is also the name of the Tang dynasty (618–907), but the surname is older than the dynasty.[3][4]
How Tang is spelled around the world
唐 is written the same in simplified and traditional characters. These are the main romanisations.[1][5]
| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Tang | Mainland China | Mandarin, pinyin |
| T’ang | Older Western usage | Mandarin, Wade–Giles |
| Tong | Hong Kong and Cantonese-speaking communities | Cantonese |
| Teng | Philippines | Hokkien-based local form |
| Đường | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Dang (당) | Korea | Korean |
| Tō | Japan | Japanese reading |
Where the Tang surname is most common
Tang was the 25th most common surname in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list, the same position it held in the Fuxi Institution’s 2013 ranking. Fuxi estimated about 9.17 million people named Tang in 2013, or 0.69% of the population, with Hunan the province with the most. The top 100 surnames together cover 85.9% of China’s registered population.
The surname is concentrated in southern China, especially in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei and Hainan. In the traditional *Hundred Family Surnames* (百家姓) it comes 64th.[1][2][4]
Famous people named Tang (唐)
Only people whose surname is 唐 are listed here; several well-known ‘Tangs’, such as the actress Tang Wei, are in fact 汤.[5][6][7][8][9][10][12]
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Tang Yin (1470–1524) | 唐寅 | Ming dynasty painter, calligrapher and poet, one of the Four Masters of the Ming dynasty; also known as Tang Bohu |
| Tang Chun-i (1909–1978) | 唐君毅 | Philosopher and a leading figure of New Confucianism |
| Tang Lin (born 1976) | 唐琳 | Judoka, Olympic champion in the women’s −78 kg class at Sydney 2000 |
| Tang Yi (born 1993) | 唐奕 | Swimmer, bronze medallist in the 100 m freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics |
| Tang Kai (born 1996) | 唐凯 | Mixed martial artist, ONE Championship featherweight world champion |
Questions readers ask
What does the Tang surname mean?
唐 is the name of the Tang dynasty (618–907). As a surname, tradition traces it to Taotang, the clan of the legendary Emperor Yao, and to the Zhou-era state of Tang granted to Shu Yu.
Is Tang a Chinese last name?
Yes. Tang (唐) is the 25th most common surname in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. Be aware that the spelling Tang is also used for other surnames, such as 汤 and, in Cantonese, 邓.
How common is the Tang surname in China?
The Fuxi Institution estimated about 9.17 million people named Tang in 2013, around 0.69% of the population. Hunan is the province with the most, and the name is concentrated in southern China.
How do you pronounce Tang?
In pinyin it is Táng, with a rising second tone, like a question. The vowel is an open ‘ah’, so it sounds roughly like ‘tahng’ rather than rhyming with English ‘tang’.
Is Tong the same as Tang?
Usually, yes. Tong is the Cantonese spelling of 唐 used in Hong Kong and other Cantonese-speaking communities.
Is Tang Wei’s surname 唐?
No. The actress Tang Wei’s surname is 汤 (Tāng), a different surname with a different tone. In English both are written Tang.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; romanisation table) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 2019年全国姓名报告 (Ministry of Public Security Household Registration Administration Research Center, January 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Behind the Name, Tang (surname, Chinese 唐) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia (Chinese), 唐姓 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang Yin · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang Chun-i · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang Lin · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang Yi · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang Kai · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang Jinhua · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Tang Wei · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction