Zeng Surname

Surname Overview

The Zeng surname is one of the major surnames of the Chinese nation. It ranks 358th in the Song-dynasty Hundred Family Surnames and 38th by current population ranking.

Reference: 曾氏家谱网 提供12个省区市的113部曾氏家谱、曾氏族谱

Origins

Origin From the Si Surname

The Zeng surname is said to derive from the Si surname and descend from Yu the Great. After Shaokang, Yu the Great's fifth-generation descendant, restored the Xia, he enfeoffed his son Qulie at Zeng and established the Zeng state. After the state was destroyed by Ju, Crown Prince Wu adopted the original state name as his surname, later removing the city radical to form Zeng.

Reference: 曾氏家谱网 提供12个省区市的113部曾氏家谱、曾氏族谱

Historical Records

Early Literary Attestations

From the Qin and Han periods through the Sui and Tang periods, few Zeng figures appear in historical records. They include Zeng Xie, Zeng Xiaoyuan, Zeng Gun, and Zeng Yuanyu, recorded in the Book of Jin, History of the Southern Dynasties, and Tang-era records; most were active in southern regions.

Reference: 曾姓起源分布与家谱家族

Migration and Distribution

Contemporary Regional Distribution

Among 23Mofang genetic-testing users, Zeng surname ancestral regions are concentrated mainly in Guangdong, Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Fujian. Guangdong accounts for 25.3%, Sichuan 15.7%, and Hunan 13.4%.

Reference: 曾姓起源分布与家谱家族

Notable People

Notable Figures After the Song

After the Song dynasty, more Zeng figures appear. Among the Zeng family of Nanfeng in Fuzhou, Zeng Gong, Zeng Zhao, Zeng Bu, Zeng Yu, Zeng Hong, Zeng Xie, and Zeng Dun were all born in Nanfeng of Jianchang and were collectively known as the Seven Zeng of Nanfeng.

Reference: 曾姓起源分布与家谱家族

Research Notes

Multiple Origin Traditions

The Zeng surname may be associated with the ancient states of Zeng, Zheng, or Zeng, and may also be related to the ancient cooking vessel called zeng. A small number of Zeng surnames originated among ethnic minorities.

Reference: 曾姓起源分布与家谱家族