Surname Overview
Population and Main Distribution
About 4.83 million people bear the Wang surname, accounting for roughly 0.36% of China's population and ranking 60th; it is concentrated mainly in Anhui and Hubei.
Wang Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 4,471,582Wang / Wang
Origins
Three Main Lineages
The Wang surname has three principal lineages: a Qi lineage descended from the Wangmang clan, a Ji lineage that adopted the courtesy name of Prince Wang as its surname, and a Ying lineage that took its surname from the state of Wang.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
The principal ancestral commanderies include Pingyang and Xin'an. Major hall names include Yueguo and Zhongqin, derived respectively from the titles Duke of Yue granted to Wang Hua in the Tang and Earl Zhongqin granted to Wang Guangze in the Ming.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Migration
Before the Qin dynasty, the Wang surname was present in Zhejiang, Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Shandong. From the Han through the Tang, it was centered in Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu. After the Tang, it spread from Anhui and Jiangxi into central, western, and southeastern regions, reaching Taiwan in the early Qing.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Historical figures include the Tang prefect Wang Hua, the Southern Song writer Wang Zao, the Yuan navigator Wang Dayuan, the Ming dramatists Wang Daokun and Wang Tingne, and the Qing physician Wang Ang, painter Wang Shishen, and scholar Wang Zhong.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Genealogical Collections
Libraries and other institutions in China and abroad have formally reported collections totaling 480 Wang genealogies.
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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
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