The Heng surname#

Surname: Heng, pronounced as “héng”.

Regions where the Heng surname is found**#

• Yanmen Commandery: Established during the Warring States period by King Wu Ling of Zhao; continued to exist during the Qin and Han dynasties. This corresponds to the area around Dai County in present-day Shanxi Province.
• Runan Commandery: Established during the reign of Emperor Gao of Han; its administrative center was Shangcai (located south of present-day Shangcai County, Henan Province). This region corresponds to the central and southern parts of present-day Henan Province, as well as the areas north of the Huai River in Anhui Province.

Origins of the Heng surname**#

The origin of the “Heng” surname can be traced to the following:

1. From the Yi surname: During the Shang dynasty, King Tang of Shang had a virtuous minister named Yi Yin. Due to his significant contributions in overthrowing the Xia dynasty, King Tang appointed Yi Yin as the prime minister and granted him the honorific title “A Heng.” The term “A” means “to support or rely on,” and “Heng” signifies “to maintain stability.” Yi Yin’s descendants later adopted the character “Heng” from this title as their surname.
2. From the Ji surname: Descendants of the Duke of Zhou (Duke Dan of Zhou). The eldest son of the Duke of Zhou, Bo Qin, was granted the fief of Lu and established the state of Lu. One of Bo Qin’s descendants, Prince Heng, adopted his ancestor’s name as his surname.
3. During the Three Kingdoms period: Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao in the Battle of Guandu. Yuan Shao’s sons then fought among themselves, and some members of the Yuan clan fled to Hengshan in Hunan to seek refuge. They adopted the name of their place of residence as their surname, thus becoming the Heng clan.

Hall names (Tanghao):

• A Heng Hall: Yi Yin was a virtuous prime minister of the Shang dynasty. King Tang of Shang attributed much of the success in overthrowing the Xia dynasty to Yi Yin and honored him with the title “A Heng,” indicating that his status was equal to that of King Tang, and he should not be treated as a mere subject.