The Lang Family#

Surname: Lang, pronounced as “láng”

Distribution of the Lang Family#

• Zhongshan Commandery, Hebei Province
• Wei Commandery, Shandong Province

Origins of the Lang Family#

The origin of the “Lang” surname can be traced to several sources:

1. It originates from the “Ji” surname, with the name of a place being adopted as the surname. According to the “Yuanhe Xing Zuan” (Compilation of Surnames from the Yuan Dynasty), during the Spring and Autumn Period, Fei Bo, a grandson of Duke Yi of Lu, built the city of Lang and settled there (located in present-day Qufu, Shandong Province), from which the Lang family descended.
2. It was also a surname of the Southern Xiongnu people in history.
3. The surname also has Manchu origins, stemming from the Nükhuru clan of the Jurchen people during the Jin Dynasty. These people adopted the Chinese surname as part of their sinicization process.

The progenitor of the Lang family is Fei Bo.

Regarding the origin of the Lang surname, the “Xing Zuan” states: “Fei Bo, a grandson of Duke Yi of Lu, built the city of Lang and settled there, and his descendants adopted the name of the place as their surname.” The first person to bear the surname Lang was Fei Bo, a grandson of Duke Yi of Lu, who lived around 3,000 years ago. He originally had the surname Fei but changed it to Lang after moving to Lang City (northeast of present-day Yutai County, Shandong Province). This incident demonstrates the connection between the Fei and Lang families, as some of Fei Bo’s descendants adopted the surname Lang, while others continued to use the original Fei surname. Therefore, Fei Bo is revered as the progenitor of the Lang family.

Migration and Distribution The Lang surname is not among the top 100 most common surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan. The Lang family has a distinct Chinese heritage, with its origins dating back to the glorious history of the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period. The ancestors of the Lang family were descendants of the Duke of Zhou, who played a significant role in establishing rituals and music traditions, contributing to Chinese cultural heritage. Undoubtedly, they are also descendants of the Yellow Emperor, one of the founding ancestors of the Chinese nation.

The Lang surname originated from the “Ji” surname. During the Zhou Dynasty, Fei Bo, a grandson of Duke Yi of Lu, led his troops to settle in Lang (northeast of present-day Yutai County, Shandong Province). Over time, many of Fei Bo’s descendants remained in that area and adopted the surname Lang. Since the rulers of Lu were descendants of the Zhou royal family, the Lang surname is derived from the “Ji” lineage. Historically, some members of the Southern Xiongnu ethnic group also adopted the surname Lang.

Notable People with the Lang Surname

• Lang Shiyuan: A native of Dingzhou during the Tang Dynasty, he passed the imperial examinations during the Tianbao era (744–755) and served as the governor of Yingzhou. He was known for his poetry and was as famous as Qian Qi.
• Lang Jingshan (1892–1995): A renowned international photographer from Jiangsu Province. He began his photography career at the age of 13 and became China’s first professional photographer at 25. In the history of Chinese photography, Lang Jingshan was the first to photograph the human body, the first to teach photography, and the first Chinese photographer to be selected for international photography salons. He is famous for his unique and innovative photographic works.

The Lang family has a strong presence in certain regions, particularly Zhongshan Commandery (established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, corresponding to the area around present-day Zhengding County, Hebei Province) and Wei Commandery (established during the same period, encompassing areas now in Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces).

The Lang surname has a rich cultural heritage and a long history, reflecting the diverse roots of Chinese society.