Our answer
China’s 31st most common surname 彭
A surname traced to the ancient state of Dapeng, near today’s Xuzhou in Jiangsu, and to the legendary Peng Zu
The short answer
Peng (彭, Péng) is a Chinese surname ranked 31st in China by the Ministry of Public Security in 2019. The character originally depicted drum beats. Tradition traces the surname to the ancient state of Dapeng, near today’s Xuzhou, and to its legendary founder Peng Zu. In Cantonese it is spelled Pang.
| In Chinese | 彭 (the same in simplified and traditional characters) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Péng (second, rising tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | 31st, Ministry of Public Security list of the 100 most common surnames |
| Other spellings | Pang (Cantonese), Phang (Cantonese, Hakka), Phee, Phe (Hokkien), Peh (Teochew), Bành (Vietnamese), Paeng (Korean, 팽) |
| Meaning of the character | A drum (壴) with strokes for its beats, so originally ‘drum beats’; as an adjective, ‘big’ |
| Largest in | Hunan, the province with the most people named Peng (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
| Population | About 7.66 million, 0.58% of China’s population (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
Origins of the Peng surname
The surname is traditionally traced to Peng Zu (彭祖), a legendary figure said to have lived for 800 years, who became China’s by-word for longevity. According to the legend, Jian Keng, a descendant of the mythical emperor Zhuanxu, was granted the territory of Dapeng (大彭, ‘Great Peng’) and came to be known as Peng Zu. Dapeng is placed near today’s Xuzhou in Jiangsu, and its people later took the name of their state as their surname.
Zhang Shu’s genealogical work *Xingshi Wushu* (姓氏五书) records another version: that Peng Zu was the third of six sons of Lu Zhong. These are legends rather than history. Later, other groups also took the name; one well-known branch in western Hunan traces itself to Peng Shichou, a prefect of Xizhou in the Five Dynasties period.
The character itself is made of a drum (壴) and the strokes of 彡 standing for its beats, which is why its original meaning is given as ‘drum beats’.[3][4][5]
How Peng is spelled around the world
彭 is written the same in simplified and traditional characters. These are the main spellings.[1][3]
| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Peng | Mainland China and Taiwan | Mandarin, pinyin |
| P’eng | Older Western usage | Mandarin, Wade–Giles |
| Pang, Phang | Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and other Cantonese and Hakka communities | Cantonese and Hakka |
| Phee, Phe, Phi | Hokkien communities | Hokkien |
| Peh | Teochew communities | Teochew |
| Pangestu | Indonesia | Indonesian adaptation |
| Bành | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Paeng (팽) | Korea, where it is rare | Korean |
Where the Peng surname is most common
Peng was the 31st most common surname in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. The Fuxi Institution’s 2013 ranking placed it 32nd, with about 7.66 million people, or 0.58% of the population, and Hunan the province with the most. The top 100 surnames together cover 85.9% of China’s registered population.
The name is concentrated in Hunan, Sichuan and Hubei. In Changsha, the capital of Hunan, it is the ninth most common surname. In Taiwan it ranks 35th, and in the traditional *Hundred Family Surnames* (百家姓) it comes 47th. In South Korea it is rare: the 2000 census counted 2,825 people named Paeng.[1][2][3][4]
Famous people named Peng
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Peng Yang | 彭羕 | Han dynasty official who served Liu Bei |
| Peng Xiuwen | 彭修文 | Conductor and composer |
| Eddie Peng | 彭于晏 | Canadian-Taiwanese actor |
| Peng Yuchang | 彭昱畅 | Actor |
| The Pang Brothers | 彭氏兄弟 | Hong Kong twin screenwriters and film directors |
| Peng Chang-kuei | 彭长贵 | Chef from Taiwan |
| Peng Bo | 彭勃 | Diver and Olympic medallist |
| Peng Shige | 彭实戈 | Mathematician |
| Peng Lei | 彭蕾 | Business executive at Alibaba Group |
Questions readers ask
What does the Peng surname mean?
The character 彭 shows a drum with strokes for its beats, so its original meaning is ‘drum beats’; as an adjective it can mean ‘big’. As a surname it is traced to the ancient state of Dapeng, near today’s Xuzhou in Jiangsu.
Is Peng a Chinese last name?
Yes. Peng (彭) is the 31st most common surname in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list.
How common is the Peng surname in China?
The Fuxi Institution estimated about 7.66 million people named Peng in 2013, around 0.58% of the population. It is most common in Hunan, Sichuan and Hubei.
How do you pronounce Peng?
In pinyin it is Péng, with a rising second tone. The p is breathy, as in English, and the e is a short, neutral vowel, so it sounds roughly like ‘pung’.
Who was Peng Zu?
A legendary figure said to have lived 800 years, regarded as the ancestor of the Peng family. In the legend he was Jian Keng, a descendant of the mythical emperor Zhuanxu, who was granted the territory of Dapeng.
Is Pang the same as Peng?
Often. Pang is the Cantonese spelling of 彭 used in Hong Kong, as with the film-making Pang Brothers. But Pang can also be the Hokkien or Teochew spelling of 冯 (Feng).
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; romanisation table) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 2019年全国姓名报告 (Ministry of Public Security Household Registration Administration Research Center, January 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Peng (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia (Chinese), 彭姓 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Behind the Name, Peng (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Féng (surname 冯/馮) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction