Surname Overview
Overview
Zheng is a relatively uncommon surname in current usage.
Zhēng Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 115Zhēng / Cheng
Origins
Main Origins
Traditions identify the Han-era immortal Zheng Boqiao as the founder of the surname; other accounts say that Wang Mang bestowed the surname Zheng on Yan You and Lian Dan, or that descendants of Ziying, the third Qin ruler, changed their surname from Ying to Zheng.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Clan Records in the Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi both record the surname Zheng. The Book of Han, in the biography of Sima Xiangru, mentions Zheng Boqiao, whom Yan Shigu identifies as having the surname Zheng and the given name Boqiao.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies of Origin
The recorded commanderies associated with the Zheng surname are Huainan and Henan.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution and Migration
The Zheng surname is mainly distributed across Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui, Guangdong, Ningxia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Beijing. Its population is relatively concentrated in Taizhou and Yancheng in Jiangsu, especially Xinghua; the Zheng population in Xinghua and Yancheng is generally said to have migrated from Suzhou.
Notable People
Historical Figures
In the Song dynasty, Zheng Fu passed the imperial examination. In the Ming dynasty, Zheng An was a gongshi degree holder and served as an instructor.
Continue your family research
Start with ancestral counties, villages, personal names and dates. Record genealogy titles, volumes, editions and catalog identifiers. A shared surname does not prove a shared lineage; compare branch records.
Surname attestation references
These catalogs or datasets attest written names, not every origin or lineage claim on this page.
This page includes automatically organized material. Check the references and original family documents.
Add or correct information
Submit the information and a reference link for possible inclusion on this page.