Wang (surname)

The most ancient family name of Wáng was originated from the surname Zi (子). The Chinese legend mentions that near the end of Shang Dynasty, King Zhou of Shang's uncle Bi Gan, Ji Zi, and Wei Zi were called "The Three Kindhearted Men of Shang". King Zhou was violent in his rule, and Bi Gan repeatedly remonstrated to the king regarding his behavior. The king shunned his comments and killed Bi Gan instead. Bi's descendants used Wáng as their surname as they are descendants of a prince and were known as "The Bi clan of the Wáng family".[13] The Zi clan has existed for about 3100 years through Qin Dynasty to Tang Dynasty and exists today. The Zi clan of Wáng lived predominantly in moder-day Henan during these times and developed into the famous Wáng family of Ji prefecture.[14]

More Wáng were originated from the royal family of Zhou Dynasty. The original surname of the royal family of Zhou Dynasty was Ji (姬). However, many of them have separated out of the family due to the loss of power and land. Because they once belonged to the royal family, they used Wáng as their surname. This family of Wáng traced its ancestry to Wang Ziqiao[15]

According to the classical records, after King Wu of Zhou defeated the Shang Dynasty, he established the Western Zhou Dynasty. During the reign of the 21st king, King Ling of Zhou (571 - 545 BCE), the capital was in Chengzhou, which is the present day Luoyang, Henan. A son of King Ling, Wangzi Qiao or Prince Qiao, was reduced to civilian status due to his remonstration to the king. His son Zong Jin remained as a Situ in the palace, and because of the people at the time recognized him as the descendant of the royal family, they called his family the "Wáng family".[16]

During the Tang dynasty the Li clan of Zhaojun 赵郡李氏, the Cui clan of Boling 博陵崔氏, the Cui clan of Qinghe 清河崔氏, the Lu clan of Fanyang 范陽盧氏, the Zheng clan of Xingyang 荥阳郑氏, the Wang clan of Taiyuan 太原王氏, and the Li clan of Longxi 隴西李氏 were the seven noble families between whom marriage was banned by law.[17] Moriya Mitsuo wrote a history of the Later Han-Tang period of the Taiyuan Wang. Among the strongest families was the Taiyuan Wang.[18] The prohibition on marriage between the clans issued in 659 by the Gaozong Emperor was flouted by the seven families since a woman of the Boling Cui married a member of the Taiyuan Wang, giving birth to the poet Wang Wei.[19] He was the son of Wang Chulian who in turn was the son of Wang Zhou.[20]

The marriages between the families were performed clandestinely after the prohibition was implemented on the seven families by Gaozong.[21] The Zhou dynasty King Ling's son Prince Jin is assumed by most to be the ancestor of the Taiyuan Wang.[22] The Longmen Wang were a cadet line of the Zhou dynasty descended Taiyuan Wang, and Wang Yan and his grandson Wang Tong hailed from his cadet line.[23] Both Buddhist monks and scholars hailed from the Wang family of Taiyuan such as the monk Tanqian.[24] The Wang family of Taiyuan included Wang Huan.[25] Their status as "Seven Great surnames" became known during Gaozong's rule.[26] The Taiyuan Wang family produced Wang Jun who served under Emperor Huai of Jin.[27] A Fuzhou-based section of the Taiyuan Wang produced the Buddhist monk Baizhang.[28]

The surname Wang has a Goguryeo origin and was the royal surname of Goryeo dynasty which was founded by Wang Geon. It is said that when Goryeo fell, many changed their surname to Jeon(全)/Jeon(田)/Ok(玉) to avoid severe persecution from the succeeding Joseon Dynasty. The Kaesong Wang lineage traces its ancestry to the Goryeo rulers.

Ō (Japanese: 王) is a rare Japanese name, mostly held by those of Chinese descent, such as the baseball player Sadaharu Oh (王貞治), also known as Wang Chen-chih.

In Indonesia, the surname is often romanized as "Heng", "Bong" or "Ong" for people of Hokkien descent, and more commonly as Ong by Chinese Peranakan.

Wang is also an unrelated surname in Sweden and Norway. It is a variant spelling of the name Vang which is derived from the Old Norse word vangr, meaning field or meadow.

Wang is also a surname in the German and Dutch languages. The name is derived from Middle German wang/ Middle Dutch waenge, which is literally "cheek". However, in southern German, its meaning, "grassy slope" or "field of grass", is similar to the Scandinavian surname.

• Wang Shujin (Ong Seok Kim) (1884–1964), Malaysian educationist, social worker and philanthropist

• Ong Teng Cheong, President of the Republic of Singapore
• Wang Yuegu, China-born Singaporean Olympic table tennis player

• Cyndi Wang, Taiwanese Mandopop singer
• Joanna Wang, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
• Leehom Wang, Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter, actor and commercial model
• Ong Iok-tek (Wang Yude), Taiwan nationalist
• Wang Cheng-teng, Deputy Minister of the Council of Agriculture
• Wang Chien-fa, Magistrate of Penghu County (2005–2014)
• Wang Chien-Ming, pitcher for the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals
• Wang Chien-shien, Republic of China politician
• Wang Chung-yi, Minister of Coast Guard Administration (2014–2016)
• Wang Ginn-wang, Minister of the Coast Guard Administration (2006–2014)
• Wang Ju-hsuan, Minister of Council of Labor Affairs (2008–2012)
• Wang Kwo-tsai, Political Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications
• Wang Li-ling, Chairperson of Financial Supervisory Commission (2016)
• Wang Mei-hua, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs
• Wang Yu-chi, Minister of Mainland Affairs Council (2012–2015)
• Wang Yu-yun, Mayor of Kaohsiung City (1973–1981)

• The royal family of the Goryeo Dynasty, founded by Wang Geon
• Wang Ki-Chun, judo world champion
• Wang Bit-na, actress and model
• Wang Ji-hyun, popularly known as Jun Ji-hyun
• Wang Ji-won actress and ballet dancer

• Alexander Wang, fashion designer
• An Wang (1920–1990), computer engineer and inventor
• Ed Wang, American football player
• Garrett Wang, Chinese American actor
• Ignatius C. Wang, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco in 2002-2009
• Kris Wang, former mayor of Cupertino, California
• Vang Pao (1929 - 2011) Laotian - Hmong general of the Vietnam war
• Vera Wang, fashion designer
• Wang Leehom, Chinese-American musical artist, record producer, actor and film director

• Jeremy Wang, Twitch.tv streamer

• Lo Wang, Shadow Warrior character
• Nina Wáng, My-Otome character
• Wang Jinrei, Tekken character
• Wang Liu Mei, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 character
• Wang Lung, The Good Earth character
• Wang Shizhen, Hikaru no Go character
• Wang Chiang, Moorim School character
• Paul Wang, Space: Above and Beyond character
• Wang Ai Ling, Stitch & Ai character
• Wang Wang and Funi, two pandas in Australia