Wang
A surname with several independent origins, most famously a Chinese family name and also an old English/German word-based place-name surname meaning “field” or “meadow.”
The #282 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,810 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname has more than one origin. In English and related Germanic traditions, it can come from a word meaning “plain,” “field,” or “meadow” — Old English wang or wong, related to Old Norse vangr and Old High German wang. In Chinese, Wang is also one of the most common surnames, usually written with the character 王, meaning “king.” Because these traditions are separate, the surname has developed independently in different languages.
History
In English surname history, Wang can be a short form of old place-name surnames or topographic names tied to a meadow or open field, and related spellings such as Wong appear in older records. In Chinese contexts, Wang is among the most widespread family names in the world and is especially common in modern diaspora communities. The same spelling in English-language records can therefore reflect very different family histories.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old English and Old Norse both had nearly the same word for “meadow” or “field,” which is why this surname turns up in several Germanic naming traditions.
From the historical record
“WETWANG (Eng.) Bel. to Wetwang (Yorks), 14th cent. Wetewange, Domesday Wet- wang- = the Wet Plain or Field [O.E. wikt -t- wang\ WEVILL (Eng.) the A.-Sax. pers. name Wifel, a nickname from the Weevil [M.E. wevil,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)