Find out how popular the last name Zeng is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Zeng.

Zeng, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Zeng surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zeng in America

Zeng is the 4662nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zeng surname appeared 7,605 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Zeng.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zeng to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Zeng

The surname Zeng originates from China and can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Chinese word "zeng," which means "to increase" or "to add." This name was likely given to families who were involved in agricultural activities or whose businesses were thriving.

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), the Zeng family was particularly prominent in the regions of Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Historical records from this period mention several Zeng scholars and officials who served in the imperial court.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Zeng surname was Zeng Gong (1019-1083 AD), a renowned Confucian scholar and writer from Fujian. He is best known for his work "Xingli daquan" (The Complete Collection of Nature and Principle), which was a significant contribution to the Neo-Confucian philosophy of the time.

In the 13th century, Zeng Bu (1237-1307 AD) was a prominent military leader and strategist from Guangdong. He played a crucial role in the defense of the Song Dynasty against the Mongol invasions and was later honored with the title of "Duke of Loyalty and Honor."

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the Zeng family continued to produce notable figures. One such individual was Zeng Zhen (1505-1570 AD), a celebrated painter and calligrapher from Fujian. His works were highly acclaimed for their bold and expressive style, and he is considered one of the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty."

In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 AD), Zeng Guofan (1811-1872 AD) was a prominent statesman and military leader from Hunan province. He played a significant role in suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, one of the bloodiest civil wars in Chinese history, and was instrumental in modernizing the Qing army.

Another notable figure from the Qing Dynasty was Zeng Guoquan (1824-1890 AD), a scholar and writer from Guangdong. He is best known for his literary works and his efforts in promoting education and social reforms during the late Qing period.

Throughout history, the Zeng surname has been associated with various place names and localities in China, including Zengcheng (a district in Guangzhou), Zengjiang (a county in Guangdong), and Zengzhou (an ancient city in Henan province).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zeng

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Zeng.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Zeng was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Zeng has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Zeng was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zeng, please contact us.

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