My Surname "黃"

黃 : Wong
Wong is the transliteration of the Chinese family name (黃) which means yellow literally. Wong is the eighth most common Chinese surname, with a worldwide population of more than 41 million (2000 estimate).

It is transliterated to Huang, Wing, Vong, Bong, Ng, Wee, Oi, Oei or Ooi, Ong or Hwang due to dialect-language variations.

Dialect Variants
Wong — Cantonese/Yue, Fuzhou, Hakka/Kejia, Gan
Huang, Hwang — Mandarin
Bong — Hakka/Kejia
Huynh/Hoang — Vietnamese
Hwang — Korean
Ng — Hokkien/Min, Teochiew/Chaoshan
Oei, Ooi, Oi, Wee — Hokkien/Min
Ong — erroneous transliteration of "Ng"

The Wong Surname — Introduction
Wong is surname #96 in "Hundreds Family Surnames" (百家姓). Wong ranks 8th among Chinese surname clans and has a worldwide population of more than 31 million (2000 est.).

Origin
Wong is an ancient surname which origin could be traced back more than 4,200 years to the days of the legendary sage emperors preceeding the Xia dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Shun (帝舜), Hui Lian (惠連), the son of Lu Zhong (陸終), a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di (黄帝), scored a merit in harnessing river floods, and Emperor Shun conferred on Hui Lian the state of Can'hu (参胡) (in present-day region of Fenyang (汾陽), Shanxi province (山西省), China). It was the year 2220 BC. Emperor Shun renamed Can'hu "the State of Huang" (黄國), and bestowed on Hui Lian the surname "Huang" (黄) and the name "Yun" (雲). Hence, Hui Lian was also known as Huang Yun (黄雲). Hui Lian became the Progenitor of the Huang Surname Clan. The descendants of Huang Yun (Hui Lian) ruled the Huang State of Shanxi until the early "Spring and Autumn Period" (春秋時代) (722 BC-481 BC) when it was conquered by the State of Jin (晋國).

Development and Emigration
In 891 BC, King Xiao of Zhou (Zhou Xiao Wang — 周孝王) conferred on the 53rd generation descendant of Hui Lian, Huang Xi (黄熙) (aka Huang Shi — 黄石) the nobility of "Hou" (Duke — 侯) and a dukedom in the region east of the Han river (漢水) (in present-day region of Yicheng (宜城), Hubei (湖北 province) called "Huang" (黄) (Not to be confused with the Huang State of Fenyang, Shanxi) with the four states Jiang (江), Huang (黄) (founded by Bo Yi's (伯益) descendants), Dao (道), and Bo (柏) in the Huang river (潢水) valley as vassals. The Huang State of Yicheng, Hubei was known as the "Western Huang" (Xi Huang — 西黄) in history.

In 845 BC, Duke Wen (文侯) Huang Meng (黄孟) (aka Huang Zhang — 黄璋) moved the capital of the State of Huang from Yicheng to Huangchuan (潢川) (present-day Huangchuan — 潢川, Henan — 河南省) and founded a new Huang State. Huang Xi's descendants ruled State of Huang until 648 BC when it was destroyed by the State of Chu (楚國). The Duke of Huang, Duke Mu (穆侯) Huang Qisheng (黄企生), who narrowly escaped, fled to the State of Qi (齊國) (in present-day Linzi, Shandong province 山東省). The people of Huang were forced to relocate to Chu, to the region of present-day Hubei province, known as the Jiangxia Prefecture (江夏郡) during the Han dynasty (漢朝) (206 BC-AD 220). There are many places in this region today that were named after Huang e.g Huanggang (黄岡), Huangpi (黄陂), Huangmei (黄梅), Huangshi (黄石) etc. A large number of the people of Huang were also relocated to regions south of the Changjiang/Yangtze River (長江). Among them were descendants of the aristocratic family of Huang, who later assimilated with the local indigenous tribes and their descendants became the Huangs of the non-Han ethnic minorities living in south China today.

After three centuries in decline, the Huang family resurged when Huang Xie (黄歇), a descendant of the aristocratic family of the vanquished Huang State was made the Prime Minister of the State of Chu. Huang Xie was conferred "Lord of Chunshen" (春申君) (314 BC-238 BC). During the Han dynasty, Huang Ba (黄霸) (130 BC- 51 BC) also became the prime minister. The Huang clan reached the zenith of fame and power during the Han dynasty.

From Jiangxia,the Huang Clan later spread to other parts of China and later on to other parts of the world. Hence Jiangxia is regarded as the Cradle of the Huang Clan and the name "Jiangxia" was adopted as the clan's "Hall name" (堂號). Today, the Huang surname Clan is known as the "Huang Clan of Jiangxia". The name "Jiangxia" has become a synonym of Huang Surname Clan.

During the Jin dynasty (晋朝) (AD 265-AD 420), when northern China was invaded by the barbarian tribes, many northerners (especially the aristocratic clans) moved to south China with the Jin court. It was during this period that the Huang2 Clanmen migrated to Fujian (福建省).

According to Min Shu (閩書) (Book of Min) (Quoted from Chung Yoon-Ngan):
"During the second year (of the reign) of Yong Jia (308AD) the Central Plain was in chaos and the eight (aristocratic) Clans:- Lin (林), Huang (黄), Chen (陳), Zheng (鄭), Zhan (詹), Qiu (邱), He (何), and Hu (胡), entered Min (閩) (present day Fujian province, China)."

From the Tang dynasty (AD 618-AD 907) onwards, Huang Clansmen migrated from Fujian to Guangdong (廣東省) and to the other southern provinces. Huang Clan grew into a big Clan in south China and became the 3rd biggest surname clan in south China today. (Related Article: How The Han Chinese Became The World's Biggest Tribe)

Migration to Taiwan (台灣) began during the transition period from the Ming (明) dynasty (1368-1644) to Qing (清) dynasty (1644-1912), when many Huang2 Clansmen followed the Anti-Manchu Ming loyalist forces under Zheng Chenggong (鄭成功), crossed the Taiwan straits to Taiwan island.

Huang migration overseas began as early as the 14th century during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) to destinations in Southeast Asia. Migration to Americas began only in the mid-19th century following the forced opening of China's ports to the West. Huang is the largest Chinese surname clan in Americas today. The population of overseas Huang Clansmen was estimated at 2 million in 2000.