Key events in the history of the Wang (王) surname
12 dated events in the history of the Wang (王) surname, as recorded in Chinese sources.
571 BCE–545 BCE
During the reign of King Ling of Zhou (Zhou Lingwang 周灵王), his son, Crown Prince Jin (Tai Zi Jin 太子晋), was deposed for offering forthright remonstrance; his son Zongjing (Zong Jing 宗敬) was thereafter referred to as ‘of the royal house’ (Wang Jia 王家), and descendants began adopting Wang (王) as their surname.
Western and Eastern Han dynasties
Some members of the Xiqiang Qian’er clan (Xiqiang Qian’er Shi 西羌钳耳氏) assimilated into the Han Chinese population and adopted the surname Wang (王).
Northern and Southern Dynasties period
Some members of the Goguryeo Tuo Wang clan (Goguryeo Tuo Wang Shi 高句丽拓王氏) assimilated into the Han Chinese population and adopted the surname Wang (王).
Tang dynasty
Some members of the Uyghur Abusi clan (Huihu Abusi Shi 回鹘阿布思氏) assimilated into the Han Chinese population and adopted the surname Wang (王).
11th–early 12th century
Some members of the Jurchen Wanyan clan (Nüzhen Wanyan Shi 女真完颜氏), Jiagu clan (Jiagu Shi 夹谷氏), and Ongut tribe (Wenggu Bu 汪古部) assimilated into the Han Chinese population and adopted the surname Wang (王).
Sui dynasty
The Central Asian Hu person Wang Shichong (Wang Shichong 王世充) entered the household register of the Jingzhao Wang clan (Jingzhao Wang Shi 京兆王氏) through his mother and thus adopted the surname Wang (王).
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
Wang Shenzi (Wang Shenzi 王审知), a native of Gushi (Gushi 固始) in Henan (Henan 河南), migrated south to Fujian (Fujian 福建) and established the Min Kingdom (Min Guo 闽国), becoming the founding ancestor of the Fujian Wang lineage (Kaimin Wangshi 开闽王氏).
Song dynasty
The Wang (王) surname had approximately 5,900,000 bearers, accounting for 7.7% of the national population, making it the largest surname during the Song dynasty.
Ming dynasty
The Wang (王) surname had approximately 6,200,000 bearers, accounting for 6.7% of the Ming dynasty population, remaining the largest surname.
After the Jingkang Incident (Jingkang Zhi Huo 靖康之禍)
The proportion of Wang (王) surname bearers in Hebei (Hebei 河北), Henan (Henan 河南), and Sichuan (Sichuan 四川) declined by nearly half; some migrated to Hubei (Hubei 湖北), Hunan (Hunan 湖南), Guangdong (Guangdong 广东), and Guangxi (Guangxi 广西).
Late Qin–early Han period
Wang Jian’s (Wang Jian 王翦) descendants Wang Yuan (Wang Yuan 王元) and Wang Wei (Wang Wei 王威) fled warfare and migrated respectively to Langya (Langya 琅琊) in Shandong (Shandong 山东) and Taiyuan (Taiyuan 太原) in Shanxi (Shanxi 山西), forming the two great lineages: the Langya Wang (Langya Wang Shi 琅琊王氏) and the Taiyuan Wang (Taiyuan Wang Shi 太原王氏).
2nd century BCE
Wang Zhong (Wang Zhong 王仲) and Wang Ren (Wang Ren 王仁) migrated from Shandong (Shandong 山东) in China to the Korean Peninsula, becoming the founding ancestors of the Korean Wang (Wang 王) surname.