The surname Zheng is the 23rd most common surname in China today. It has a large population, accounting for about 0.78% of the country's Han population.
Tracing back to the roots According to relevant materials such as "New Book of Tang Dynasty: Genealogy List of Prime Ministers" and "Compilation of Yuanhe Surnames", it comes from the surname Ji, after the descendant of Huangdi's grandson Houji. The youngest son of King Zhou Li was granted the title of Zheng, and his descendants took the country as their surname.
The surname was Ji You, the ancestor. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, King Zhou Li's youngest son You and King Zhou Xuan were half-brothers. Twenty-two years after he ascended the throne (806 BC), King Xuan of Zhou granted you a title in Zheng (now east of Huaxian County, Shaanxi Province), and you named him Duke Huan of Zheng. Zheng was the last vassal state established in the Western Zhou Dynasty. During the reign of King You of Zhou Dynasty, Duke Huan of Zheng saw that King You was immoral, the princes were powerful, and the royal power was falling apart. He had a premonition that there would be trouble, so he moved his property, tribes and people to the two vassal states of Dongguo and He in central Henan. After Zheng Huan Gong's son Wu Gong came to the throne, he took the opportunity to escort King Ping to move east to Luoyang. He successively occupied the lands of the two countries and established the Zheng State in the Xinzheng area. In 375 BC, the Zheng State was destroyed by South Korea, and the Zheng clan's public officials and clans moved out one after another. They took the country as their surname and called it the Zheng family. Respect Jiyou as the ancestor of those with the surname Zheng.
Proliferation and Migration The surname Zheng first originated from Xinzheng County in present-day Henan Province. During the Warring States Period, due to being destroyed by Korea, they dispersed and moved to eastern Henan, Shandong, Anhui and other places. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Zheng clan first moved to Luoyang, Henan, and Zheng Xi became the ancestor of Luoyang. Later, people with the Zheng surname moved their entire clan back to Xingyang in memory of their ancestors' deeds, and they thrived and developed here for generations, making it the center for the early reproduction of the Zheng surname. At the same time, people with the Zheng surname also entered neighboring areas, making Shandong, Anhui, Shaanxi, and Shanxi their main distribution areas. The large-scale migration of the Zheng surname to the south began with the "Yongjia Rebellion" in the Western Jin Dynasty. It was one of the "Eight Surnames Entering Fujian". It continued to develop here and spread to the vast area in the south, forming many counties. During the long-term migration process of the Zheng clan after the two Jin Dynasties, many celebrities and high-ranking officials appeared, all with very prominent status. By the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Zheng surname had developed into a famous surname, enjoying privileges in many fields of politics, economy, society, and culture, and filling the family with wealth. During the Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties, the Zheng surname entered its second important stage of development. The imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty suppressed the political status of the Zheng family, but it was able to give full play to its cultural advantages. A large number of celebrities emerged from the imperial examination. At the same time, due to the continuous strengthening of ethnic integration during this period, the Zheng family also joined new forces. , thus allowing the Zheng surname to continue to multiply and develop in a wide area. By the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the Zheng surname inherited the advantages of its ancestors, and many famous families and celebrities appeared. It also founded a generation of academic sects, the "Yongjia School". At the same time, the "Nine Generations Living Together" in Pujiang, Zhejiang also made the Zheng surname famous throughout the world. It once again became the most eye-catching family in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and its population continued to increase. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Zheng surname developed again brilliantly, leading the way in Confucianism, thought, culture, science and technology and other fields. Hopeful clans appeared in other places, and their clansmen spread to various provinces and even overseas. The surname Zheng is now widely distributed in our country, especially in the southern region. Fujian and Zhejiang are the two provinces with the most people surnamed Zheng, accounting for the majority of the population with the surname Zheng in the country. It can be said that the surname Zheng is a relatively typical southern surname.
In the long process of reproduction, the county name Zheng has formed many county names. According to "Guangyun", there are seven main ones: 1. Xingyang County, where the government is located in Xingyang (today's Xingyang, Henan Province) Northeast of the county); 2. Luoyang County, the administrative seat is on the north bank of the Han River in the east of Luoyang, Henan; 3. Gaomi County, the administrative seat is Gaomi (southwest of today's Gaomi County, Shandong); 4. Yongzhou County, a state was established in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Chang'an was the administrative seat during the Three Kingdoms period ( Northwest of present-day Xi'an City, Shaanxi); 5. Longxi County, where the administrative seat is Didao (now south of Lintao, Gansu Province); 6. Nanyang County, where the administrative seat is Wan County (now Nanyang City, Henan Province); 7. Kuaiji County, where the administrative seat is Wuxian County (now the south of Lintao, Gansu Province); Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province), and moved to Shanyin (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang) during the Shunzhi period.
Tang names: "Xiaoyi", "Kong'an", "Shudai", "Fuxun", "Liben", "Xilei", "Yijing", "Dianyi", "Wuben", "Xingyang", "Bojing", "Anyuan", "Zhujing", "Tongde", etc.
Clan Characteristics 1. People with the Zheng surname have always had a prominent status in the past dynasties, and there have been numerous celebrities in economics, politics, science and technology. 2. The surname Zheng is famous for his loyalty, filial piety and simple family style. 3. The rows of characters named Zheng in each branch are arranged in an orderly manner.
The "Zheng Family Tree" compiled by the Zheng family in the Qing Dynasty, and the one-character statement of the Zheng family in Tongshan, Hubei Province: "The descendants inherited the family far away, the lineage was passed down by Tongde, and they were always prosperous and prosperous." According to the fragmentary version of the "Zheng Family Tree" in the Republic of China, The one-character surname Zheng in Suxian County, Anhui Province means: "Tianlu Shizhi is the foundation, Japanese language is the foundation of the country."
Celebrity Essence Zheng Dan: a famous heroine in the late Spring and Autumn Period. During the long-term war between Wu and Yue, He went to Wu alone to serve as an internal response and helped the Yue Kingdom successfully destroy Wu, making great contributions. Zheng Guo: A Korean at the end of the Warring States Period and a great water conservancy expert in ancient my country. He helped Qin build the famous water conservancy project Zheng Guo Canal, which made Qin fertile and wild for thousands of miles and made its country stronger. Zheng Ji: A native of Kuaiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang), he once led troops to fight against the invasion of the Huns, marking the beginning of the Han Dynasty's establishment of the Western Region Protectorate. Zheng Xing and Zheng Zhong: Born in Kaifeng, Henan, they are father and son. Xing was a scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty and made great contributions to the further development of Confucianism in Chinese history. He is known as "Xian Zheng" in the world. Zi Zhengzhong was a Confucian scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He once served as a great agriculture minister and was proficient in classics such as "Yi" and "Shi". Zheng Xuan: A native of Gaomi, Beihai (now part of Shandong) in the Eastern Han Dynasty, he is known as "Hou Zheng" in the world. He wrote with great concentration and commented on many classics. He was the master of Confucian classics in the Han Dynasty. He was called "Zheng Xue" and was very good at organizing ancient historical documents. Contribute. Zheng Daozhao: A native of Kaifeng, Xingyang, he was a calligraphy sage in the Northern Wei Dynasty. He served as the emperor's minister of wine and Gongwenci calligrapher. His calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, and also had official meaning. He was praised by later generations as "the sect of Wei stele". Zheng Ze: A native of Xingyang in the Sui Dynasty. He was knowledgeable and knew the rhythm of bells. He took the exam of Dadong Zhongling in the school. He wrote "Yuefu Songs", "Yuefu Tone", etc. Zheng Qian: A native of Xingyang, Zhengzhou, he was a scholar, painter, and doctor of Guangwen during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. His poetry, calligraphy, and painting skills were among the best in Beijing. Emperor Xuanzong once inscribed: "Zheng Qian's Three Wonders." He is the author of "Tianbao Army Defense Record". Zheng Qiao: A native of Putian (now part of Fujian), he was a famous historian and bibliographer in the Southern Song Dynasty in my country. He wrote a lot of works in his life. "General Chronicles" written in his later years is another great general history work after "Historical Records". And quite innovative. Zheng Guangzu: A native of Xiangling, Pingyang (now Linfen, Shanxi), one of the four great masters of Yuan opera. He created many works in his life, and his representative work is "A Chinese Girl Leaving the Soul". He was praised by later generations as "famous in the world, famous in the boudoir, and outstanding in his generation." Called 'Mr. Zheng'". Zheng He: A native of Kunyang, Yunnan (now Jinning), he was a navigator of the Ming Dynasty. He led his fleet on seven voyages to the Western Ocean, reaching as far away as Africa, the Red Sea and other places. He promoted Sino-foreign exchanges and created my country's first navigation map. Zheng Mingcheng: A native of Nan'an, Fujian, he was a famous general in the late Ming Dynasty. He was given the surname "Zhu". He fought bravely against the Qing army and expelled the Dutch colonists in Taiwan. He was a famous military strategist and national hero in our country. He was revered as the "Guo Surname Lord" . Zheng Banqiao: A native of Xinghua, Jiangsu, a calligrapher, painter and writer in the Qing Dynasty