Kong (surname)
Kong (Chinese: 孔; Korean: 공) is a Chinese and Korean surname. It can also be written as Kung in Taiwan, Hung in Hong Kong, Khổng in Vietnam, and Gong in Korea. There are around 2.1 million people with this surname in China in 2002, representing 0.23% of the population. In 2018, it was the 97th-most common surname in China. It is the 25th name in the Hundred Family Surnames poem.
The stroke order of 孔 | |
| Language(s) | Chinese |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Old Chinese |
| Word/name | 子, 乙 |
| Derivation | Fusion of 子 and 乙 |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) |
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Kong is most notable as the surname of Confucius and his descendants, whose family tree is the world's longest, covering over 2,500 years and more than 80 generations, in two million entries as of 2009. The main line of descent traditionally held the title of Duke Yansheng, which was changed to the title of the first Sacrificial Official to Confucius in the 20th century. This title is currently held by Kung Tsui-chang.
Kong may also be the English transliteration of a rare Chinese surname 空, or a less common form of the Gong surnames such as 龔, 貢 and 弓.