The Zhong Family#

Surname: Zhong, pronounced as “zhōng”.

Regions where the Zhong surname is prevalent**#

Xuchang, Henan Province

Origin of the Zhong surname**#

The Zhong surname accounts for approximately 0.39% of the Han Chinese population and ranks as the 56th most common surname in China today.

Origins of the “Zhong” surname:

1. Derived from the Zi surname: This branch of the Zhong family originated from descendants of King Tang of the Shang Dynasty, who adopted their ancestral town as their surname. According to historical records such as “Mingxian Shizu Yanxing Leigao” and “Xintang Shu Zaixiang Shixi Biao,” there was a concubine of an ancient emperor named Jiande who found a swallow egg. After consuming it, she gave birth to a child named Qi. Qi later assisted King Yu in controlling floods and was granted a fief in the Shang state. During the reign of King Zhou of Shang, Qi’s younger brother named Qi was granted another fief in the state of Wei. Dissatisfied with the poor governance of the Shang dynasty, Qi wrote a letter to the king, but his advice was ignored, leading to his departure. After King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty, Qi sought refuge with King Wu and was later enfeoffed in the state of Song. Qi is considered the progenitor of the Zhong family within the Zi lineage. However, subsequent research suggests that the actual founder of the Zhong family from the Zi lineage was Qi’s brother, Weizhongyan.
2. Derived from the Ying surname: This branch of the Zhong family originated from the Zhongli clan, which was renamed after the Zhong family during the Zhou Dynasty. Descendants of Boyi were granted the state of Zhongli, which was later annexed by the Chu state during the Spring and Autumn period. This branch of the Zhong family is prevalent in Anhui.
3. Derived from an official title: According to Zhou dynasty regulations, there was an official responsible for managing musical instruments such as bells, known as the “Zhongshi.” Since the bell was considered the most important instrument in the twelve musical scales, the ancestors of Yun Gong Zhongyi adopted “Zhong” as their surname. Notable figures from this branch include the Chu official Zhong Jian and Zhong Ziqi, who became famous for the story of “true friendship recognized through music” in the classic “Jingshi Tongyan.”

Population distribution of the Zhong surname: The current population of people with the Zhong surname is over 4.4 million, ranking 54th in China, accounting for approximately 0.35% of the national population. Over the past 600 years (since the Ming Dynasty), the Zhong population has increased from 370,000 to over 4.4 million, representing a 12-fold growth. Although the growth rate of the Zhong surname is slightly lower than the national average, it has shown an upward trend over the past 1,000 years since the Song Dynasty. The Zhong surname is primarily concentrated in Guangdong, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Guangxi provinces, accounting for about 65% of the total Zhong population. Other major populations are found in Hunan, Fujian, Chongqing, and Zhejiang, which together account for another 19%. Guangdong is the province with the largest Zhong population, accounting for 26% of the total. Three major centers of the Zhong surname distribution are formed in Guangdong and Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi, and Sichuan and Chongqing.

Notable individuals with the Zhong surname:

• Zhong Lie: Son of King Kang of the Song state, a 27th-generation descendant of Weizhongyan. He was born in the 35th year of King Xian of Zhou (334 BCE). In 318 BCE, King Kang declared himself king and appointed Lie as the “Dafu of Zhongyi” (Zhongyi was a fief established in 487 BCE after King Jing of Song conquered the Cao state). When the Song state fell in 286 BCE, King Yan fled and later died in Wen County, Wei state. Lie then settled in Zhongli Mountain, Yuzhou (now Anyi Township, Zongchang County, Xuzhou, Henan). Adopting the name “Zhong” from his fief, he became the progenitor of the Lie branch of the Zhong family.
• Zhong Yao: (151–230), courtesy name Yuanchang, a prominent minister and great calligrapher of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period. From Changshe, Yingchuan (now Changge, Henan), he was appointed to various official positions during the Eastern Han dynasty and served as a court official under Cao Cao and Cao Pi. After the establishment of the Wei dynasty, he was promoted to the position of Grand Tutor (Taifu) and was widely respected as “Zhong Taifu.”

The Zhong surname has a significant presence throughout China, with varying distribution patterns across different regions.