Seng
A rare surname that is probably either locational or borrowed from a family name in a Germanic-language area.
The #7,311 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,663 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The available excerpt does not actually explain Seng itself; it only mentions a place-name spelled with Seng- in Oldenburg/Jeverland. Because of that, the surname’s exact derivation remains uncertain. In general, Seng can be a short Germanic surname that may have started as a locational name from a place or farm name, or as a name carried over from another language area.
History
The excerpt shows the spelling in a broader discussion of Germanic place-names, but it does not provide a direct etymology for the surname. In modern usage, Seng is uncommon in the United States and is more likely to have multiple independent family origins than a single clear source.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is short enough to look simple, but historical surname records can be surprisingly hard to pin down when the early evidence only mentions it in passing.
From the historical record
“Altena vlak tegenover Deventer , met het voormalige kasteel Altena vlak buiten de Schoolpoort te Delft; met Altona, on- middellik by de stad Gewarden (Je ver) , met Altona by Seng warden in Jeverland, met Altona by Tettens in Wrangerland , enz. — deze drie laatste plaatsen in de friesche gouen van Oldenburg. En zoo…”
— De Nederlandsche geslachtsnamen in oorsprong, geschiedenis en beteekenis