Our answer
The ‘king’ surname, No. 1 in China 王
Written with the character for ‘king’; more than 90 million people in mainland China carry it
The short answer
Wang (王, Wáng) is a Chinese surname meaning ‘king’, and it is the most common surname in China: No. 1 in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking. A 2007 count put it at about 92.88 million people, 7.25% of the mainland population. In Cantonese it is spelled Wong; in Hokkien, Ong.
| In Chinese | 王 (the same in simplified and traditional characters) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Wáng (second, rising tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | No. 1 of the 100 most common surnames |
| Other spellings | Wong (Cantonese), Ong (Hokkien), Heng (Teochew), Vương (Vietnamese), Wang (Korean) |
| Meaning of the character | ‘King’ |
| Largest in | 16 provincial-level regions, mostly in the north, including Beijing, Hebei, Shandong and Henan (2019) |
| Population | About 92.88 million in mainland China, 7.25% of the population (2007) |
Origins of the Wang surname
王 is the ordinary Chinese word for king, and the surname is not one family but several that took the same name. Tradition traces the oldest line to Bi Gan, an uncle of the last Shang king, who was put to death for criticising his nephew; his descendants are said to have taken Wang as their surname.
Another large branch claims descent from the royal Ji (姬) clan of the Zhou dynasty. The story goes that Prince Jin, a son of King Ling of Zhou, was demoted to commoner, and that his family became known as the ‘king’s family’. He is usually regarded as the ancestor of the Taiyuan Wang (太原王氏), one of the great aristocratic clans of the Tang dynasty. Other Wang lines descend from nobles of the states of Qi and Wei and from families of Xianbei origin.
In Korea, Wang (왕) is linked to the Goryeo royal house. For how Wang compares with other names, see our guide to Chinese surnames.[2]
How Wang is spelled around the world
The character is the same everywhere; the spelling follows the local language or dialect.[1][2][5][6]
| Spelling | Where | Language or dialect |
|---|---|---|
| Wang | Mainland China, Taiwan, Korea | Mandarin (pinyin and Wade–Giles); Korean |
| Wong | Hong Kong, Macau, overseas Cantonese communities | Cantonese, Hakka |
| Ong, Ung | Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia | Hokkien |
| Heng | Thailand and Teochew communities | Teochew |
| Bong | Indonesia | Hokkien |
| Vương | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Vang, Vaaj | Hmong communities | Hmong |
| Ō | Japan | Japanese |
Wong and Ong are not always 王: Wong is also the Cantonese spelling of 黄 (Huang), and Ong is the Hokkien spelling of 黄, 汪 and 翁 as well.
Where Wang is most common
Wang is the largest surname in China as a whole and, according to the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 report, the largest in 16 provincial-level regions: Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Hainan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang. That makes it above all a northern name.
A 2013 study by the Fuxi Institution put Wang at 7.17% of the population, about 95.2 million people, with Henan the province with the most bearers. In 2020 the top five surnames, Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu and Chen, together covered 30.8% of the registered population.
Outside the mainland, Wang was the sixth most common surname in Taiwan in 2018, at 4.10%. In Singapore, Ong is the fifth most common Chinese surname and Wong the sixth, and the United States had about 143,000 Wangs in 2014, up from 63,800 in 2000.[1][2][3][4]
Famous people named Wang
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Wang Xizhi | 王羲之 | Jin dynasty calligrapher |
| Wang Zhaojun | 王昭君 | One of the Four Beauties of ancient China |
| Wang Wei | 王维 | Tang dynasty poet |
| Wang Yangming | 王阳明 | Ming dynasty Neo-Confucian philosopher |
| Wang Zhen | 王祯 | Yuan dynasty inventor of wooden movable type |
| An Wang | 王安 | Computer scientist, founder of Wang Laboratories |
| Vera Wang | 王薇薇 | Fashion designer |
| Yuja Wang | 王羽佳 | Classical pianist |
| Sadaharu Oh | 王贞治 | Baseball player in Japan; Oh is the Japanese reading of 王 |
| Wang Nan | 王楠 | Table tennis player |
Questions readers ask
What does the Wang surname mean?
王 means ‘king’. The surname was taken by several unrelated families, including descendants of the Shang and Zhou royal houses, so it does not mean the bearer is of royal descent.
Is Wang a Chinese last name?
Yes. It is the most common surname in mainland China, No. 1 in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking. It is also found in Korea (왕) and, as Vương, in Vietnam.
How common is Wang in China?
Very. A 2007 count gave about 92.88 million people, 7.25% of the mainland population, and a 2013 study about 95.2 million. It is the largest surname in 16 of China’s provincial-level regions.
How do you pronounce Wang?
In Mandarin it is Wáng, with a rising tone, said roughly ‘wahng’ rather than like the English word ‘wang’.
Is Wong the same as Wang?
Sometimes. Wong is the Cantonese spelling of 王 (Wang), but it is also the Cantonese spelling of 黄 (Huang), because the two characters sound the same in Cantonese. Only the Chinese characters tell you which.
Is Ong a Chinese surname?
Yes. Ong is the Hokkien spelling of 王 (Wang), common in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It can also stand for 黄, 汪 or 翁.
Which province has the most people called Wang?
A 2013 study found the largest number in Henan. Wang is the top surname in most of northern China, from Beijing and Shandong to Gansu and Xinjiang.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Wang (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), Ministry of Public Security 2019 surname report · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), Ministry of Public Security 2020 names report · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Wong (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Ong (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction