CHENG
Cheng is a surname of Chinese origin, recognised throughout Asia and beyond, and it is carried by individuals belonging to the Han Chinese ethnic group as well as other Chinese-speaking communities.
The surname is traditionally written with several different Chinese characters, each carrying a distinct meaning. Common interpretations include “accomplished”, “sincere”, “honesty”, “integrity”, or “success”. These meanings are derived from the particular character selected, and they reflect values that have been historically esteemed in Chinese society.
Historical traces of the surname reveal two principal points of origin. The first links it to the ancient State of Cheng, a polity that existed during the Zhou Dynasty within the territory of Lu. The second relates to the Song Dynasty, when an individual adopted the title “Cheng” as a hereditary name to honour his post. Both origins underscore the connection between the surname and significant periods in Chinese history.
In contemporary China Cheng is the seventh most frequent surname, a figure recognised by the 21st position it holds in the celebrated “Hundred Family Surnames” poem. Estimates indicate that around 21 million people bear the name Cheng/Zheng in China and Taiwan alone.
Romanisation of the surname varies according to dialect and transliteration system. Under the Wade‑Giles framework the name is rendered as Cheng, while the Pinyin system produces Zheng. Alternative spellings such as Tcheng, Teh, Chung, or Tei appear in other Chinese dialects, and the English‑language community may encounter forms such as Cheng, Zheng, or Chin.
The global distribution of the surname mirrors patterns of migration. In the United States the name began to appear in consistent records only after 1900, while in Europe it became more common in later decades. East Asian countries with significant Chinese populations—Singapore, Malaysia, and the Chinese communities of Canada and Australia—also contain substantial numbers of people with the surname Cheng.
These facts combine to portray the Cheng surname as a name of longstanding heritage, rich linguistic diversity, and widespread contemporary presence across a broad geographical spectrum.
Typical given names associated with the Cheng surname
Male
- Chi
- David
- Jason
- Ka
- Kam
- Kenneth
- Kwok
- Michael
- Peter
- Wai
- William
Female
- Kam
- Karen
- Kim
- Kit
- Lai
- May
- Mei
- Michelle
- Ping
- Siu
- Wing
- Yen
- Ying
- Yuk
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cheng in...
Braille
⠉⠓⠑⠝⠛
Morse
-.-......-.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 3,877 people named Cheng in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,407th most common surname in Britain. Around 60 in a million people in Britain are named Cheng.
Region of origin: Asia
Country of origin: China
Language of origin: Chinese
Famous people named Cheng
- Stephanie Cheng - Hong Kong singer
- Lisa Cheng -
- Bin Cheng - Chinese-born British legal scholar (1921 to 2019)
- Lucie Cheng - Taiwanese sociologist (1939 to 2010)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.