Origins of the Wang (王) surname
Chinese sources record 7 separate lines of origin for the Wang (王) surname, and name 6 commanderies of origin (junwang). Each is summarised below with its source.
Originated from the Ji (姬) surname
After Prince Jin, son of King Ling of Zhou (Zhou Ling Wang, 周灵王), was demoted to commoner status, his son Zongjing served as Situ (Minister of Education and Ceremonies); because he was a descendant of the royal family, he was referred to as ‘Wangjia’ (the Wang family); later generations thus adopted Wang as their surname.
Originated from the Gui (妫) surname
After the State of Qi (Qi, 齐) was destroyed, Tian An (Tian An, 田安), the eldest grandson of King Jian of Qi (Qi Wang Jian, 齐王田建), was enfeoffed as the King of Jibei (Jibei Wang, 济北王) by Xiang Yu (Xiang Yu, 项羽). After Xiang Yu’s defeat and death, Tian An’s descendants lost their royal status and changed their surname to Wang (Wang, 王).
Adoption of the Wang surname by non-Han ethnic groups
In ancient times, some pastoral ethnic groups—including the Xiqiang (西羌) Qian'er (钳耳) clan, the Goguryeo (高句丽) Tuo Wang (拓王) clan, the Uyghur (回鹘) Abusi (阿布思) clan, the Khitan (契丹) people, and the Jurchen (女真) Wanyan (完颜) clan—were assimilated into the Han Chinese population and either adopted the Wang (王) surname or were granted it by imperial decree.
Enrolled in the household register through the mother
During the Sui Dynasty (隋朝), Grand Commandant (Taiwei, 太尉) Wang Shichong (王世充) was enrolled in the Jingzhao Wang (京兆王) lineage through his mother and thus adopted the Wang (王) surname.
Indigenous Miao Surname
The Miao 'Wang' (Wang 王) surname (Vang/Vaj/Vaaj) is one of the major indigenous surnames of the Miao ethnic group, sharing the same origin as the Han Chinese 'Wang' surname but transmitted independently.
Origins among immigrants from the Korean Peninsula
The founding ancestors of the Wang (王) surname on the Korean Peninsula were Wang Zhong (王仲) and Wang Ren (王仁), who migrated from Shandong (山东) in China (the State of Qi, 齐国) in the 2nd century BCE.
Descendants of Fujian Min People in Ryukyu
The Wang (王) surname in Ryukyu originated from the thirty-six families of Min people from Fujian Province who migrated to Ryukyu during the Ming Dynasty, later adopting Japanese-style household registration names.
Commanderies of origin (junwang)
- Beihai Commandery (北海郡)
- Chenliu Commandery (陈留郡)
- Wei Commandery (魏郡)
- Ji Commandery (汲郡)
- Jinyang (晋阳)
- Qi County (祁县)
Surnames with a shared origin
Some entries have not been translated into English yet and are omitted.