It's not really a family name, it's more like what you would call a clan (actually a step above that, but not quite an ethnic group). It's also a point of prid

It's not really a family name, it's more like what you would call a clan (actually a step above that, but not quite an ethnic group). It's also a point of pride to have that name (over the past couple generations Tenzin Norgay made it famous), which is probably why it became so popular among Nepalis (well, that combined with the lack of literacy and government record-keeping). Edit: Oh yeah, Nepali Sherpas would probably get a kick out of it, but that's about it.