{"id":1536,"date":"2020-09-10T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.mychinaroots.com\/?p=1536"},"modified":"2022-11-08T06:34:47","modified_gmt":"2022-11-08T06:34:47","slug":"wang-family-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mychinaroots.com\/blog\/surnames\/wang-family-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Wang Family History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Do you bear the name of kings? If your surname is spelled Wang or Wong, you can bet your Chinese surname is \u738b, pronounced Wang in Mandarin. Literally meaning \u201cking,\u201d Wang is the most common surname in China. You share this regal name with well over a hundred million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within China, Wang stands at the #1 surname in no less than 16 provinces from Jilin to Xinjiang, with the highest concentration in Shandong province. The northern provinces have a higher rate of occurrence than in the south, and altogether Wangs comprise over 7.1% of China\u2019s total population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Looking for your Wang family history book?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Browse our collection of Wang zupus<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search for a Wang ancestor in our database<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are the origins of Wang?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The surname Wang \u738b has a number of different origin stories, as it has been adapted by many families and clans all across China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the typical tale, when a king fell out of favor or had his life cut short, his descendants would continue to be recognized as royal by relationship. As the title Wang became more prevalent, it transformed from a position into a surname. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one of the oldest accounts, a certain Bigan \u6bd4\u5e72 fell out of favor with King Zhou, the last monarch of the Shang dynasty. After he was killed, his descendants chose to take on the clan name Wang, in light of Bigan originally being the child of a local ruler. For years into the Tang dynasty, the Wang clan of Henan became well-established and popularly known as the Jijun Wang Clan \u6c72\u90e1\u738b\u6c0f. Over time, they migrated throughout Gansu, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A more recent record details the exile of Wang Zijin \u738b\u5b50\u664b, the son of Zhou emperor Ji Xiexin. For convenience, the imperial court continued to use the name Wang for his son Zongjing \u5b97\u656c, who still held a government post. From then on, he decided to take on Wang as his family surname.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Wang Zijin, the exiled son of Emperor Ji. Source: Wang Zupu of Gaoming, Foshan, Guangdong.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Did you know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u738b isn\u2019t the only surname pronounced as Wang! Another that ranks in the 100 most popular surnames is \u6c6a. Instead of meaning \u201cking,\u201d however, the Chinese character for this Wang has \u201cthree drops of water\u201d on the left,  a telltale sign that the meaning is related to water. In fact, \u6c6a translates to \u201cdeep and vast,\u201d often used in Chinese literature to describe oceans and seas. Colloquially, it is also used to represent the barking sound of dogs. \ud83d\ude02 <\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Chinese<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Wang<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Chinese<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Meaning<\/td>King<\/td><\/tr>
Symbols<\/td>| + \u4e00<\/td><\/tr>
Legendary Ancestor<\/td>Bigan \u6bd4\u5e72<\/td><\/tr>
Founding Ancestor<\/td>Wang Zijin \u738b\u5b50\u664b<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"World<\/a>
Global distribution map of Wang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Spelling Variations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Dialect<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Cantonese<\/td>Wong<\/td><\/tr>
Hainanese<\/td>Wong<\/td><\/tr>
Hakka<\/td>Wong<\/td><\/tr>
Hokkien<\/td>Ong<\/td><\/tr>
Mandarin<\/td>Wang<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
By Country<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Indonesia<\/td>Ong, Ongko, Ongkowijaya, Radja, Wangsa, Wangsadinata, Waskito, Wong, Wongsojoyo,<\/td><\/tr>
Jamaica<\/td>Wong<\/td><\/tr>
Japan<\/td>O, Wau<\/td><\/tr>
Korea<\/td>Wang<\/td><\/tr>
Macau<\/td>Vong, Wong<\/td><\/tr>
Malaysia
Singapore<\/td>		Bong, Heng, Ng, Ong, Wang, Wong<\/td><\/tr>
Taiwan<\/td>Wang<\/td><\/tr>
Thailand<\/td>Sae-Heng, Sae-Won<\/td><\/tr>
USA (Hawaii)<\/td>Aloiau<\/td><\/tr>
Vietnam<\/td>V\u01b0\u1edbng<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Who are famous Wangs in modern history?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With such a huge number of descendants, the talents and passions of the Wang clan know no bounds. Famous figures with the Wang surname range from dynastic founders to boy band idols and political visionaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some prominent Wangs in modern history include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n