Wáng

Wáng (王) is a Chinese surname. The character 王 means “king” and is one of the most common surnames in the Chinese-speaking world. In pinyin, the name is written Wáng with a rising second tone.

The surname has multiple origins. It is traditionally linked to the royal title 王 used in ancient China to denote lords or kings, and to toponyms and clans that adopted the character as their surname. The surname appears in some of the earliest Chinese genealogies and is listed among the classic Hundred Family Surnames.

Wang is widely distributed in Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and among Chinese diasporas worldwide. Romanization variants reflect dialects: Wáng in Mandarin; Wong in Cantonese contexts; Ong in Hokkien; and Vương in Vietnamese.

Notable bearers include historical figures such as Wang Xizhi (王羲之), the famed calligrapher; Wang Mang (王莽), founder of the Xin dynasty; and Wang Anshi (王安石), Song dynasty statesman and reformer. In modern times, people named Wang have made contributions across many fields, including politics, science, and the arts.