The Wang Clan#

Surname: Wang, pronounced as “wáng”

Distribution of the Wang Clan#

• Taiyuan Commandery, Shanxi
• Langya Commandery, Shandong
• Beihai Commandery, Shandong
• Chenliu Commandery, Henan
• Donghai Commandery, Shandong
• Gaoping Commandery, Shandong
• Jingzhao Commandery, Shaanxi
• Tianshui Commandery, Gansu
• Dongping Commandery, Shandong
• Xincai Commandery, Henan
• Xinye Commandery, Henan
• Shanyang Commandery, Jiangsu
• Zhongshan Commandery, Hebei
• Zhangwu Commandery, Hebei
• Donglai Commandery, Shandong
• Hedong Commandery, Shanxi
• Jincheng Commandery, Gansu
• Guanghan Commandery, Sichuan
• Tangyi Commandery, Jiangsu
• Henan Commandery, Henan
• Hejian Commandery, Hebei
• Jiyuan Commandery, Henan
• Fengyi Commandery, Shaanxi
• Yingzhou, Liaoning

Origins of the Wang Clan#

The surname “Wang” has multiple origins:

1. From the Ji surname: Descendants of King Wen of Zhou adopted the royal title as their surname. For example, Bi Gong Gao, the 15th son of King Wen, used “Wang” as his surname because he was from a royal family.
2. From the Zi surname: Descendants of Prince Bi Gan of the Shang Dynasty adopted the royal title as their surname. According to historical records, after Prince Bi Gan was killed, his descendants changed their surname from “Zi” to “Wang” in his honor.
3. From the Gui surname: Descendants of Tian He, the king of Qi, adopted the royal title as their surname. After Qi was conquered, they changed their surname from “Gui” to “Wang.”
4. Simplification of compound surnames: After the Qin Dynasty conquered the six states, some royal families changed their surnames to “Wang.”
5. Surnames granted by the government or changed voluntarily.
6. **From ethnic minorities that used or changed to the surname “Wang.”

Important Ancestors of the Wang Clan

• Princess Jin: The eldest daughter of King Ling of Zhou, whose surname became important for the Wang clan. She is also known as Princess Wang Qiao.

Hall Names (Tanghao):

There are more than twenty hall names based on various places, such as Taiyuan Hall and Langya Hall. One notable example is Sanhuai Hall, named after Wang Yi, a person from the Northern Song Dynasty who was intelligent and served as a county magistrate. After his death, his descendants named their hall “Sanhuai Hall” in his honor.

Migration and Distribution

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Wang clan mainly lived in present-day Ruicheng, Xia, Pu, and Pinglu in Shanxi; Kaifeng, Yucheng, and Huai in Henan; and Xianyang in Shaanxi. Descendants of the Zi family with the surname Wang migrated to Tianshui in Gansu, Dongping and Xincai/Xinye in Henan, and Jiaozuo in Shandong. During the Han dynasty, the Wang clan in Langya took its name from Wang Ji, a counselor of the Western Han dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Wang clan in Langya played a significant role in establishing the Eastern Jin dynasty. After the fall of Qi, they migrated south. After the fall of the Northern Song dynasty, many Wang clans moved to Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Famous People with the Surname Wang

• Wang Hai: A descendant of En Bo (Qi), who became the leader of the Shang people.
• Wang Xu: Also known as Guiguzi, a strategist and military educator during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
• Wang Zhaojun: Known as the “Goddess of the West,” one of the four great beauties of ancient China.
• Wang Mang: The founder of the Xin dynasty, also known as the founder of the fall of the Han dynasty.
• Wang Xizhi: A renowned calligrapher of the Jin dynasty.
• Wang Jian: A literary figure and calligrapher of the Han dynasty.
• Wang Bo: A poet of the Tang dynasty.
• Wang Changling: A famous poet of the Tang dynasty.
• Wang Anshi: A prominent politician and reformer of the Song dynasty.

The Wang clan has a wide distribution throughout China and has also migrated overseas, especially to Southeast Asia.