Origins of the Huang (黄) surname
Chinese sources record 5 separate lines of origin for the Huang (黄) surname, and name 11 commanderies of origin (junwang). Each is summarised below with its source.
Originated from the Ying (嬴) surname
One branch of the Huang (黄) surname originated from descendants of Bo Yi (伯益), who established the Huang State (Huangguo, 黄国) in present-day Huangchuan (潢川), Henan Province, at the end of the Shang and beginning of the Zhou dynasties. During the Zhou dynasty, it was enfeoffed as a viscountcy (zi, 子), known as the Huangzi State (Huangzi Guo, 黄子国). In 648 BCE, the Huang State was destroyed by the Chu State (Chuguo, 楚国), and its surviving people adopted the state’s name as their surname.
Originated from the Jintian (金天) clan
Tai Tai (台骀), a great-grandson of Shaohao (少皞) of the Jintian (金天) clan, was enfeoffed in the Fen River (Fen Chuan, 汾川) region for his achievements in flood control. His descendants established small states including the Huang State (Huangguo, 黄国) during the Spring and Autumn period; these were later annexed by the Jin State (Jinguo, 晋国), and their descendants adopted the state’s name as their surname, mainly distributed in Shanxi Province.
Huang surname among southern non-Han ethnic groups
During the Tang dynasty, the Huang surname appeared among ethnic minorities in the Yongguan (邕管) region of Guangxi, such as the Wuling Xi (武陵溪) people, Dong (峒) people, and Zhuang (壮族) people. Huang Shaoqing (黄少卿), Huang Shaogao (黄少高), and Huang Shaowen (黄少温) belonged to this branch.
Surname changes by other ethnic groups in modern times
Manchu clans including Yila (伊喇) and Xilin Jueluo (西林觉罗), as well as the Hui (回族) Pu (蒲) clan, changed their surnames to Huang (黄) to avoid calamity; during the Sinicization process of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, some were also granted the Huang surname.
Surname changes from other surnames to Huang
In antiquity, due to phonetic similarity between Huang (黄) and Wang (王), some Wang (王) families changed to Huang (黄); additionally, surnames including Lu (陆), Wu (巫), Wu (吴), and Jin (金) changed to Huang (黄) due to phonetic similarity or other reasons—for example, descendants of Wu Shuangrui (巫双瑞) changed to the Huang (黄) surname.
Commanderies of origin (junwang)
- Jiangxia (江夏)
- Nan’an (南安)
- Puyang (濮阳)
- Dongyang (东阳)
- Songyang (松阳)
- Lièyáng (栎阳)
- Anding (安定)
- Fangling (房陵)
- Handong (汉东)
- Shanggu (上谷)
- Qiao (谯)
Hall names (tanghao)
- Yanshan (燕山)
- Jiangxia (江夏)
- Ziyun (紫云)
- Kuanhe (宽和)
- Sijing (思敬)
- Yidun (逸敦)
- Dunmu (敦睦)
- Chichang (炽昌)
- Bèigǔ (蘗谷)
- Side (四德)
- Jindun (金墩)
- Wanjuan (万卷)
- Qianqing (千顷)
- Ligeng (礼耕)
- Dunben (敦本)
- Juncheng (军城)
- Gongxi (巩溪)
- Puyang (莆阳)
- Jin’an (晋安)
- Houguan (候官)
- Pujin (铺锦)
- Longxi (龙溪)
- Jiǎoxún (茭荀)