Romanization | Chang, Zhang (Mandarin) Cheung (Cantonese) Cheong (Macao, Malaysia) Tiong, Diong (Eastern Min) Tsan, Tsaon (Shanghainese) Teoh, Teo (Hokkien, Teochew) Tew (Teochew) Chong, Cheong (Hakka) Cheong (Gan) Jang, Chang (장) (Korean) Trương, Trang (Vietnamese) Tjong (Indonesia) |
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Pronunciation | IPA: /tʂɑŋ˥/ (Mandarin IPA) Zhāng (Mandarin Pinyin) Zoeng1 (Cantonese Jyutping) Tiuⁿ (Hokkien Pe̍h-ōe-jī) |
Language(s) | Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Old Chinese |
Derivation | Nie |
Meaning | drawing a bow,[1] archer, bowyer, a measure word |
Zhang ([ʈʂáŋ] ; traditional Chinese: 張; simplified Chinese: 张) is the third most common surname in China and Taiwan (commonly spelled as Chang in Taiwan), and it is one of the most common surnames in the world.[2][3] It is spoken in the first tone Zhāng. It is a surname that exists in many languages and cultures, corresponding to the surname 'Archer' in English for example.[4] In the Wade–Giles system of romanization, it is romanized as Chang, which is commonly used in Taiwan. Cheung is commonly used in Hong Kong as a romanization. It is the 24th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem, contained in the verse 何呂施張 (Hé Lǚ Shī Zhāng).
Zhang is also the pinyin romanization of the less-common surnames 章 (Zhāng), which is the 40th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem, and 仉 (Zhǎng).
Today, it is one of the most common surnames in the world at over 100 million people worldwide.[5] Zhang was listed by the People's Republic of China's National Citizen ID Information System as the third-most-common surname in mainland China (April 2007), with 87.50 million bearers.[6][7]
A commonly cited but erroneous factoid in the 1990 Guinness Book of Records listed it as the world's most common surname,[8] but no comprehensive information from China was available at the time and more recent editions have not repeated the claim.
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