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Chinese Surname
Zeng is a Chinese family name (Chinese: 曾; pinyin: Zēng; Wade–Giles: Tseng). In Cantonese, it is Tsang; in Taiwan, Tseng or Tzeng; in Malaysia, Chan; in Indonesia, Tjan; in Vietnam, Tăng.
The surname Zeng is the 32nd most common surname in Mainland China. It is the 16th most common surname in Taiwan.
Origin of the Name
Si Shao Kang was the king of the Xia Dynasty when he enfeoffed one of his sons, Zeng Qu Lie, to rule the State of Zeng (Chinese: 鄫, 繒; pinyin: Zēng; Wade–Giles: Tseng, Ts'eng). The Si's were the descendants of the King Yu the Great of Xia (Si was the surname of the royal house of the Xia Dynasty). However in 567 BC, the State of Zeng was conquered by the State of Ju. Some of the royal members with the surname Si including the prince of Zeng fled to the State of Lu. The Prince of Zeng, Zeng Wu, gave his descendants the simplified surname Zeng (曾) in remembrance of the State of Zeng (鄫國).
Famous Family Members
Zeng Shen, a great great grandson of Zeng Wu, was a disciple of Confucius and author of the Great Learning. Zeng Shen later became known as Zengzi and together with Mencius, Zisi, and Yan Hui make up the Four Sages of Confucianism.
Zeng Gong (Chinese: 曾鞏; pinyin: Zēng Gǒng, 1019–1083), courtesy name Zigu (子固), was a Chinese scholar and historian of the Song Dynasty in China.
Zeng Guofan (Chinese: 曾國藩; pinyin: Zēng Guófān; Wade–Giles: Tseng Kuo-fan, Styled Bóhán 伯函 and variably Díshēng 滌生; Posthumous name: Wenzheng 文正; created Marquis Yiyong of the First Class 一等毅勇侯, 世襲罔替) (November 26, 1811 – March 12, 1872) was an eminent Han Chinese official, military general, and devout Confucian scholar of the late Qing Dynasty in China.
Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (Chinese: 曾蔭權; pinyin: Zēng Yīnquán) GBM, KBE (born 7 October 1944) was the second Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012.
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Ancestry.com
- Also see surname page for Kong (Confucius): https://www.geni.com/surnames/%E5%AD%94-kong