Surname Overview
A Rare Surname
Geng is a relatively rare surname in current use and is found among Han, Yi, and Zhuang people.
Geng Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 15Geng / Geng
Origins
Ancestral Descent Traditions
Origin traditions for the Geng surname include descent from Duke Zhulou in the Spring and Autumn period and from the Shang king Zu Geng.
Toponymic and Manchu Origins
Another tradition derives the Geng surname from Gengzong, a place in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period, with the place-name adopted as a surname; Geng is also a Manchu surname.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Geng surname is included in the clan-name sections of Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi, while Xingshi Kaolüe also records accounts of its origins.
Migration and Distribution
Present-Day Distribution
The Geng surname is geographically widespread but small in number, occurring in Shanghai's Songjiang, Hebei's Shangyi and other localities, as well as parts of Shandong, Shanxi, Gansu, Yunnan, and Sichuan.
Notable People
Geng Jiliang of the Tang Dynasty
Geng Jiliang served as a Court of Imperial Sacrifices scholar in the Tang dynasty; the surname's commandery affiliation is recorded as Chu Commandery.
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