The Meng Clan#

Surname: Meng, pronounced as “méng”

Distribution of the Meng Clan#

The Meng clan originated from Anding Commandery, which was established during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. This region corresponds to parts of present-day Pingliang in Gansu Province and western Ningxia.

Origins of the Meng Clan#

The Meng surname has three possible origins:

1. The surname may have been derived from the name of a mountain or an official position. During the Zhou Dynasty, there was an official named Dong Meng Zhu, whose duty was to manage and oversee the sacrifices at Meng Mountain. His descendants lived in this area for generations and adopted the name of the mountain as their surname.
2. The surname could also originate from the Gao Yang family, which took the name of a place as its surname. After the establishment of the Xia Dynasty, a descendant of Zhuan Xu was granted the fief of Meng Shuang (some say Shuang Meng). His descendants adopted the name of their fief as their surname.
3. The Meng surname may have resulted from a change from another existing surname:
   • A branch of the Meng clan came from the Dong Meng family.
   • During the Yuan Dynasty, there was a family with the double surname Meng Guo; over time, their descendants adopted the single surname “Meng.”
   • Another branch originated from the Nanzhao Kingdom, where they lived in Meng She Prefecture and later settled in Anding (around present-day Dingxi, Gansu Province).

Ancestor of the Meng Clan The ancestor of the Meng clan is Meng Shuang. Members of the Meng clan are direct descendants of the Yellow Emperor, as recorded in many historical texts. According to the “Lu Shi Shu Chuan Ji,” the Meng clan is a descendant of Emperor Gao Yang, who lived approximately 4,500 years ago and was a direct descendant of the Yellow Emperor Xuan Yuan. During the Qin Dynasty, there was a general named Meng Ao. The “Xing Shi Kao Lüe” also mentions that descendants of Gao Yang were granted the fief of Meng Shuang, giving rise to the Meng and Shuang surnames.

Migration and Distribution The Meng clan is not among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. The Yellow Emperor was a famous tribal leader, and one of his grandsons, Zhuan Xu, was also a renowned tribal chief. During the Xia Dynasty, Zhuan Xu’s descendants were granted the fief of Meng Shuang, and some of them adopted the names of the place “Meng” and “Shuang” as their surnames, marking the earliest origins of the Meng and Shuang clans. Another branch of the Meng clan originated during the Zhou Dynasty, when the court established a sacrificial altar at Meng Mountain (in present-day central Shandong Province) and appointed an official to oversee the sacrifices there.

Common Couplets for Meng Clan Ancestral Halls These couplets reflect the history and significance of the Meng clan:

• Four-character couplets:
  • “Originating from Anding; Surname derived from Meng Mountain.” (Alluding to the clan’s origins and its connection to Meng Mountain.)
  • “Great achievements in Qin; Fear inspiring the Xiongnu.” (Referencing the contributions of Meng Ao in the Qin Dynasty.)
• Five-character couplets:
  • “The Meng clan governed Chu with wisdom; Built the Great Wall to defend against the Xiongnu.” (Describing Meng Ao’s role in Qin and the construction of the Great Wall.)
• Six-character couplets:
  • “A distinguished marshal in the Jin Dynasty; A renowned general in the Qin Dynasty.” (Referencing the contributions of Meng Ao and Meng Tian.)

The Meng clan is a proud and well-established lineage with a rich historical heritage.