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Yang
Yang surname in regular script
Pronunciation	Yáng (Pinyin) Iûⁿ, Iông (Pe̍h-ōe-jī)
Language(s)	Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean
Origin
Language(s)	Old Chinese
Meaning	Aspen; willow
Other names
Variant(s)	Yang (Mandarin) Yaj (Hmong) Yeung, Yeong, Young, Ieong (Cantonese) Yong (Hakka) Yeo, Yeoh, Yiu; Njoo, Nyoo, Ngeo (Hokkien) Yeo, Yeoh (Teochew) Yang (Korean) Dương (Vietnamese)
Derivative(s)	Dương
See also	Ji (surname)

Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨; traditional Chinese: 楊; pinyin: Yáng) is the transcription of a Chinese family name. It is the sixth most common surname in Mainland China.

The Yang surname members adopted many local sounding and customizable Western style or another language beside Mandarin Chinese last names with even neutralization name and changes rapidly through generations, but some still preserved Mandarin Chinese character name as secondary name beside the legal name, and appear a lot in some countries like Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, etc.^[1][2] Some examples of it are Karen and another names at Thailand.^[3]

The Yang clan was founded by Boqiao, son of Duke Wu of Jin in the Springs and Autumns Period of the Ji (姬) surname, the surname of the royal family during the Zhou dynasty (c. 8th to 5th Centuries BC) who was enfeoffed in the Yang kingdom.

Yang can also be the phonetic translation of a very rare Chinese family name 羊 and of another surname pronounced Yang (揚), written with a "hand" radical rather than the "wood" radical. The two characters were used interchangeably in ancient times, which is the Chinese character for Goat or Sheep.^[4]

History

Four proposed and linked historical for the Yang (楊) surname origins are:

1. Direct descendants of Huang Di (Emperor) of Hua Xia include descendants of Yellow Emperor^[5] and Chiyou^[6] during Xia Dynasty, also many sons and grandsons of Yu the Great, have taken Yang (楊) as surname, some of its sub-domains are the prominent Yang Jian of Zhou which take role as a Heavenly Marshal take his colony to seek peace after Zhou Dynasty win and erected his colony peacefully. And also Yang Ren is known through the title of Grand Counselor. Which appear at Fengshen Yanyi or Investiture of the Gods, novel accordingly to the historical founding of Zhou Dynasty.^[7][8]
   


2. The Yang clan was founded by Boqiao (later become Yang Boqiao, with Yang, as usual ducal courtesy name), son of Duke Wu of Jin in the Spring and Autumn period of the Ji (姬) surname, the surname of the royal family during the Zhou dynasty (c. 8th to 5th centuries BC) who was enfeoffed a vast land, the Yang Kingdom, with its central in at ancient's Shaanxi.^[9]
   


3. Yang Tang, the first historical ancestor of the Jeju's Yang clan was a Shilla figure, but according to another source, his distant ancestor was one of three men who ascended from a cave on the north side of Cheju Island’s Halla Mountain, Jeju’s Tamnagook kingdom who built the Yang Clan there.^[9]
   


4. Yang Shi, senior advisor of Jin, During the Warring States period (403–221 BCE) his descendants fled to escape destruction by the conquering the Qin, and simplified their surname to Yang (楊).^[9]
   

The Sui dynasty Emperors were from the northwest military aristocracy, and emphasized that their patrilineal ancestry was ethnic Han, claiming descent from the Han official Yang Zhen.^[10] and the New Book of Tang traced his patrilineal ancestry to the Zhou dynasty kings via the Dukes of Jin.^[11]

The Yang of Hongnong 弘農楊氏^{[12][13][14][15][16]} were asserted as ancestors by the Sui Emperors like the Longxi Li's were asserted as ancestors of the Tang Emperors.^[17] The Li of Zhaojun and the Lu of Fanyang hailed from Shandong and were related to the Liu clan which was also linked to the Yang of Hongnong and other clans of Guanlong.^[18] The Dukes of Jin were claimed as the ancestors of the Hongnong Yang.^[19]

The Yang of Hongnong, Jia of Hedong, Xiang of Henei, and Wang of Taiyuan from the Tang dynasty were claimed as ancestors by Song dynasty lineages.^[20]

There were Dukedoms for the offspring of the royal families of the Zhou dynasty, Sui dynasty, and Tang dynasty in the Later Jin (Five Dynasties).^[21]

Characters

Yang is most often the transliteration of the character 楊 (in simplified Chinese: 杨). The same character can also mean a type of poplar. The character is composed of a "wood" radical mu (木) on the left and the character yi/yang (昜) on the right, which indicates the pronunciation of the whole character.^[22]

Yang can also be the phonetic translation of other Chinese surnames. These include 阳, the Chinese character for "sun"; the very rare Chinese family name 羊, the Chinese character for "goat" or "sheep"; or another character pronounced "Yang", regardless of tone, such as 仰 or 養.^[23]

Origins

Four origins are recorded for the Yang (楊) surname ^[9][24]

1. Out of the Ji (姬) surname, the surname of the royal family during the Zhou dynasty. A fifth generation descendant of Duke Wu of Jin was enfeoffed at a place called Yang, and his descendants adopted this as their surname, giving rise to the Yang (楊) surname.^[24]
   


2. Translation of surnames used by other ethnic groups in ancient China. For example, the Di people used the Yang (楊) surname. The Yang clan of the Di people lived in Chouchi in Gansu.^[25]
   


3. Homogenization of another surname pronounced Yang (揚) join into the Yang (楊) surname, written with a "hand" radical rather than the "wood" radical. The two characters were used interchangeably in ancient times.


4. Other adoptions. For example, the Mohulu clan of the Northern Wei dynasty changed their surname the Yang (楊) surname.


5. another known source:

• The German sociologist Wolfram Eberhard calls Yang 楊 the "Monkey Clan", citing the totemistic myth recorded in the Soushenji and Fayuan Zhulin that the Yangs living in southwestern Shu (modern Sichuan) were descendants of monkeys.^[26] The Soushenji "reported that in the southwest of Shu there were monkey-like animals whose names were [jiaguo 猳國], [mahua 馬化], or [jueyuan 玃猿]. These animals abducted women and sent them back when they became pregnant. If the baby were not accepted, the woman would have to die. Therefore these children were raised and they received the clan name the Yang (楊) surname. For this reason this clan occurred quite frequently in Southwest Shu."^[27][24]
  


• The people of Hunan and Guizhou during The Three Kingdom of Later Han, joined the Yang (楊) surname by Zhuge Liang behalf.^[28][24]
  


• Manchu people use Yang (楊) as surname since ancestral times.^[28][24]
  


• Bai surname of Huang Di descendants has been moved to the Yang (楊) surname.^[28]
  


• 
  Naxi, Miao, Hui and other ethnic groups also have taken Yang (楊) as surname.^[28][24]
  

Lineage

This is current asserted prevalent lineage for the Yang (楊) surname prior to Boqiao:

Huangdi (黃帝)->Shaohao (少昊)->Emperor Ku (帝喾)->Hou Ji (后稷)->Gugong Danfu (古公亶父)->King Wen of Zhou (周文王)->King Wu of Zhou (周武王)->Shu Yu of Tang (唐叔虞)->Marquis Mu of Jin (晉穆侯)->Zhuang Bo of Quwo (曲沃莊伯)->Duke Wu of Jin (晉武公)->Boqiao (伯僑)->Yang Shíwo (杨食我)^{[29][30][31][11]}

The "Four Wisdoms"

A tablet for "Hall of Four Wisdoms"

Some branches of the Yang clan (in particular the Hongnong branch) refer to themselves as "Yang of the Hall of Four Wisdoms". The "Hall of Four Wisdoms" refers to a story concerning Yang Zhen, an official of the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), and known for his erudition as well as moral character. When a man named Wang Mi visited Yang Zhen at night and attempted to bribe him 10 catties of gold, Yang rejected the gift. Wang Mi persevered, saying that nobody would know. Yang Zhen famously retorted "Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know and I know. How can you say that nobody would know?" Descendents of Yang Zhen adopted the "four wisdoms", or "Si Zhi" as the title of their clan hall. Some Yang family clan halls in various parts of China still carry this name.^[32]

Polities ruled by Yang (楊) families

• 
  Yang state of the Zhou dynasty
  


• Chouchi


• Sui dynasty


• Yang Wu


• Kokang


• Tamna


• Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (East)


• Anterior Dương Dynasty


• Đại Việt


• Vietnam Kingship


• Jonê County


• Bozhou


• Great Yining


• The Pacified Southern Kingdom


• Legendary Champa Queenship (female)


• VI, VII, VIII, IX Champa Dynasties


• Dương Dynasty


• Lulong Circuit Yang Zhicheng


• Tĩnh Hải quân (independent) Dương Thanh


• Kauthara (female)


• Haixi Jurchens chieftains Yangginu of Yehe or Yehe Nara Clan


• Hoa People Dương Ngạn Địch


• Anti-Qing Dynasty Yang Fuqing


• Jin Guo Shandong Yang Miaozhen (female)


• Jin Guo Shandong Yang An'er


• Eastern Tujue Sui Guowang Yang Zhengdao


• Northern Dynasty Yang Lie


• Majapahit Empire


• New King Buddha III Liang Daomingguo Yang Xin

and other

Alternative spellings of the Yang (楊) surname

• 
  Yeung (Cantonese, notably Hong Kong)


• 
  Yeo/Yeoh (Hokkien and Teochew, notably Singapore and Malaysia)


• Eyu/Iyu/Io (Keowchou dialect, notably Singapore and Malaysia)


• Yiu/Yio/Yoo/Yu (Hokkien, notably Hong Kong and the Philippines) (rare)


• Yong (Hakka)


• Yung/Young/Yeong/Yahng


• Eav/Eaw


• Njo/Njoo/Nyo/Nyoo/Injo/Inyo (Hokkien, Teochew notably Indonesia)


• Neoh/Neo(rare)/Ngeo (Hokkien, Peranakan pronunciation)


• Ieong (Cantonese, notably Macau - Portuguese pronunciation)


• Leong (rare) (Min-Man Cantonese, notably Nan Hai anglicized Romanization)


• 
  Jong (Hakka, known in Indonesia)


• Iyo/Yo/Jo (Old Indonesian pronunciation)


• Jang/Yang (derived from Yang in old Dutch and old British pronunciation in Indonesia)


• Ian/Iyan (especially Indonesian customizable)


• Yaaj (in the Green Hmong dialect)


• Yaj (in the White Hmong dialect)


• Yeang


• 
  Dương/Duong (anglicized) (Vietnamese)


• Sae-ia/Sae-ear (Thai)


• 
  よう Yo/やなぎ Yanagi(Kun) (Japanese) (customizable)


• 
  Yang (양) (Korean)


• 
  Young/de Jong (European and English Phonetic Romanization)


• Jan/Yan/John/Johan (Ян) (Cyrillic)

Notable people surnamed Yang (楊)

Historical figures

• 
  Yang Dongqian (楊洞潛), an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Southern Han


• 
  Yang Ye (楊業) or Yang Jiye (楊繼業), was a military general of the Song Dynasty, Daizhou prefect and Sanjiao Garrison armed forces director (December 979 – August 986)


• 
  Yang Fuguang (楊復光) (842-883), formally Duke Zhongsu of Hongnong (弘農忠肅公), was a eunuch's proposed general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty


• 
  Yang Xiu, advisor under Warlord Cao Cao


• 
  Yang Gongren, official and general of the Sui and Tang Dynasty


• 
  Yang Hui (traditional Chinese: 楊輝; simplified Chinese: 杨辉), courtesy name Qianguang (謙光), was a Chinese mathematician during the late Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD)


• 
  Yang Ren (Chinese: 楊任; Pinyin: Yáng Rèn), grand counsellor within the Shang Dynasty


• 
  Yang Zhu, philosopher (440 – 360 BC) associated with an ethical Egoism
  


• 
  Yang Xi (楊羲, 330-c. 386), courtesy name Xihe (羲和, a mythological solar deity), was an Eastern Jin dynasty scholar, calligrapher, and mystic


• 
  Yang Yi, general of the Three Kingdoms era


• 
  Yang Jian, first emperor of the Sui Dynasty (581-618)


• 
  Yang Jisheng, court official executed during the Ming dynasty
  


• 
  Yang Guang, second Emperor of the Sui Dynasty


• 
  Yang Guifei, famous emperor's consort in Tang dynasty
  


• 
  Yang Guozhong, politician and Yang Guifei's brother


• 
  Yang Wan (楊綰), Tang Dynasty historian


• 
  Yang Manchun, a Goguryeo commander of Ansi fortress located on the Goguryeo-Tang border


• 
  Yang Qilang (楊七郎; literally "Yang's 7th son") is the 7th eldest and youngest son of Song Dynasty general Yang Ye


• 
  Yang Jian (Erlang Shen), nephew of Jade Emperor


• 
  Yang Xingmi, Prince Wuzhong of Wu, King Xiaowu of Wu, and Emperor Wu of Wu


• 
  Yang Cheng (楊成), Fuxing of Sanxing


• 
  Yang Jiong was a Tang dynasty Chinese poet


• 
  Yang Liangjie was a holy Marquis


• 
  Yang Xian (楊仙), Yang Xin (楊信) and Yang Yan (楊彥) called Tai Sui as deities, they are important features of Chinese astrology, Feng Shui, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism to a lesser extent.

Modern figures

• 
  Aili Yang, sinicized version of Olive Young (American born actress, lived 9 years in China)


• 
  Andrew Yang (born 1955), Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China (2013)


• 
  David Yang, founder and chairman of the Board of ABBYY, Ph.D. in mathematics


• 
  Alfonso T. Yuchengco (Chinese: 楊應琳), is a prominent industrialist, certified public accountant, educator, and diplomat in the Philippines


• 
  Du Wenxiu (original name was Yang before name change), Chinese Muslim rebel leader


• 
  Chen-Ning Yang, physicist and a Nobel medalist
  


• 
  Howard Young, member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
  


• 
  Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!
  


• 
  Gene Luen Yang, cartoonist, MacArthur Fellow, 2016 U.S. Ambassador of Children's Literature


• 
  Yang Jiang, noted translator and playwright, widow of Qian Zhongshu
  


• 
  Yang Jiechi, former Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China
  


• 
  Yang Kaihui, wife of Mao Zedong
  


• 
  Xiangzhong Yang, world animal cloning leader, University of Connecticut
  


• 
  Yeung Kai-yin, former official of the Hong Kong Government, and former chairman and CEO of Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
  


• 
  Yang Liwei, Chinese astronaut


• 
  Yang Luchan (楊露禪, 1799–1872), whose family became the most well-known exponents of the Chinese martial art known as T'ai Chi Ch'uan
  


• 
  Yang Ch'eng-fu (楊澄甫, 1883–1936), martial arts teacher and grandson of Yang Luchan


• 
  Miriam Yeung, singer and actress


• 
  Yang Shangkun, Chinese politician


• 
  Yang Shi Man, Indonesian singer, known as Agnes Monica (Agnez Mo)


• 
  Xuefei Yang, classical guitarist


• 
  Yeung Sum, member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
  


• 
  Sir Ti Liang Yang, former Chief Justice of Hong Kong, the first ethnic-Chinese to the position


• 
  Yong Pung How, former Chief Justice of Singapore


• 
  Yang Xianyi, noted translator


• 
  Yen-Yi Yang, victim of murder by Stanley Williams
  


• 
  George Yeo, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Singapore
  


• 
  Richard Yeo Swee Chye,(楊瑞才), scientist, inventor & founder of SuperUSA Nutrition Inc & Multi Sensing Inc.


• 
  Michelle Yeoh, famous international actress from Malaysia
  


• 
  Yeoh Tiong Lay, business man, founder of YTL Corporation Berhad
  


• 
  Francis Yeoh Chairman of YTL Corporation Berhad
  


• 
  Ken Yeang renowned architect and author


• 
  Yang Sen general, warlord, later Taiwan sports administrator


• 
  Yang Weize, former Communist Party Secretary of Nanjing, China


• 
  Yang Yang (painter), contemporary artist


• 
  Yang Yang (badminton), badminton player


• 
  Yang Yang (A), speed skater


• 
  Yang Yang (S), speed skater


• 
  Yang Yang (actor), Chinese actor


• 
  Shirley Yeung, winner of 2001 Miss Hong Kong, TVB actress


• 
  Rainie Yang, Taiwanese singer and actress


• 
  Yeo Ning Hong, Former minister of Singapore


• 
  Yang Erche Namu, ethnic Mosuo writer


• 
  Tavia Yeung, TVB actress


• 
  Vivien Yeo, TVB actress


• 
  Yong Pung How, Singapore Chief Justice (1990–2006)


• 
  Yang Yilin, Chinese gymnast


• 
  Yang Jianli, Chinese dissident with U.S. residency


• 
  Yong Mun Sen (1896-1962), Malaysian pioneer artist, known as Father of Malaysian Painting


• 
  Yeung Kam John Yeung Sik Yuen, Mauritius Chief Justice


• 
  Henry T. Yang, chancellor of University of California, Santa Barbara
  


• 
  Sao Edward Yang Kyein Tsai (杨振材), last reigning prince of Kokang in Myanmar whose family ruled Kokang from 1739 - 1959


• 
  Yang Yongliang, artist


• 
  Yang Xiuqing, East King of the Heavenly Kingdom


• 
  Yang Chuan-kwang, 楊傳廣, an Olympic decathlete from the Republic of China


• 
  Gladys Yang, a British translator of Chinese literature


• 
  Xao "Jerry" Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨係; traditional Chinese: 楊係; pinyin: Yáng Xì; born 1967), ethnic Hmong poker player from Temecula, California


• 
  Yang Kuan (杨宽), Chinese historian


• 
  Yang Gang, prominent female journalist


• 
  Nagi Yanagi (やなぎ なぎ-Yanagi Nagi), Japanese singer-songwriter from Kansai, Japan and is signed to Geneon.


• 
  Yō Yoshimura (吉村 よう Yoshimura Yō), former Japanese voice actor


• 
  Dương Nhật Lễ, emperor of Đại Việt from 1369 to 1370


• 
  Njoo Cheong Seng (Perfected Spelling: Nyoo Cheong Seng;楊章生) a Chinese-Indonesian playwright and film director


• 
  Njoo Kiem Bie (naturalized name Koesbianto) (Chinese: 楊金美; pinyin: Yáng Jīnměi)a male badminton player from Indonesia


• 
  Charlie Yeung, actress


• 
  Yang Tsung-hua (楊宗樺), Taiwanese professional tennis player


• 
  Fan Yang, Canadian bubble artist


• 
  Yang Mu (杨牧/楊牧; pinyin: Yáng Mù) a Taiwanese poet


• 
  Yang Wenhui (simplified Chinese: 杨文会; traditional Chinese: 楊文會; pinyin: Yáng Wénhùi; Wade–Giles: Yang Wenhui; 1837-1911) was a Chinese lay Buddhist reformer


• 
  Yang Jing (Chinese: 杨晶; pinyin: Yáng Jīng) (born in December 1953) is one of the Chinese Party and State Leaders


• 
  Tiger Yang (Yang Jiechi), a high-ranking Chinese politician and lifelong professional diplomat


• 
  Yang Mi (楊冪), Chinese actress and singer


• 
  Yang Xiong (politician), Mayor of Shanghai


• 
  Yang Hyong-sop (楊亨燮), is a North Korean politician


• 
  Yeung Ku-wan (杨衢云), the first President of the Hong Kong Chapter of the Revive China Society in 1894


• 
  Yang Hung-duen, is a Taiwanese physicist.


• 
  Yang Fuyu, a Chinese biochemist and biophysicist, is the main founder of biomembrane study in China


• 
  Gregory Yong, was the second, and the first local, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore


• 
  Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, is the Bishop of Hong Kong


• 
  Yang Xuanzhi, was a Chinese writer and translator of Mahayana Buddhist texts into the Chinese language


• 
  Yang Du, was a Chinese politician


• 
  Yang Baibing, was a general in the People's Liberation Army


• 
  Yang Chengwu, was a Communist Chinese revolutionary and general of the People's Liberation Army


• 
  Yam Ah Mee, is a former Singaporean civil servant and Chief Executive Director of the People's Association


• 
  Alvin Yeo, is a lawyer and former Singaporean politician


• 
  Alvin Yeung, is a barrister and politician in Hong Kong


• 
  Yang Gensi, In 1952, the Chinese authorities gave him the honorary title of "super hero"


• 
  Yang Yuanqing, (simplified Chinese: 杨元庆; traditional Chinese: 楊元慶; pinyin: Yáng Yuánqìng, born 12 November 1964) is a Chinese businessman and the current chief executive officer of Lenovo


• 
  Russell Wendell Morfe Dionido II (楊文成), was a Filipino Chinese businessman, financial, and insurance adviser

See also

• Young (surname)


• Yang (Korean surname)


• Duong (Surname)


• Chinese surname


• Generals of the Yang Family

References

External links

• Chinese surname history: Yang


• 杨氏寻根网: Yang

Surname list This page lists people with the surname Yang. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.