Song (Chinese surname)

Song is the pinyin transliteration of the Chinese family name 宋. It is transliterated as Sung in Wade-Giles, and Soong is also a common transliteration. In addition to being a common surname, it is also the name of a Chinese dynasty, the Song dynasty, written with the same character.

Song
Song character in ancient script on top, modern script at bottom
PronunciationSòng (Mandarin)
Language(s)chinese
Other names
Variant form(s)Sung, Soong, Tống

In 2019, it was the 24th most common surname in Mainland China.

Historical origin
Main article: Shang dynasty

The first written record of the character 宋 (Sòng) was found on the oracle bones of the Shang dynasty.

State of Song

In the written records of Chinese history, the first time the character Song was used as a surname appeared in the early stage of the Zhou dynasty. One of the children of the last emperor of the Shang dynasty, Weizi Qi (微子启), was a duke from the state named Song, who descended from his ancestor Xie (契) whose name was derived from the surname Zi (子). Xie was born from Jiandi from the swallow from the blackbird egg, who came from Yousong (有娀), the legendary state.[1] The State of Song, Song's dominion, became part of the Zhou dynasty after the fall of the Shang dynasty, and was inherited from the dynasty formally in 11th century BC. Citizens of the former State of Song commemorated the overthrow of their state in 286 BC by the State of Qi owned by Tian, who began to use the character Song as their surname, which is the authentic branch.[2]

  • From the Taiping Guangji, The Duke Jing of Song assigned the surname Song to a savage, who was named Ziwei (子韦), in charge of astronomy as Fangshi, whose alias was Sixing (司星).

Song dynasty
  • Emperor Huizong of Song's officer changed his name to Song, using the dynasty name as a family name, which was the imperial clan branch of the Song dynasty.[3]
  • Charlie Soong changed his family name from Han to Soon, then Soong, which was one of the accepted English spellings of the dynasty name Song, the dynasty from the tenth to the thirteenth century in China.[4][5]

Others
  • There is a family clan originally located in Pingyang called Dashila (答失剌) who have used this character since the Ming dynasty.[2]
  • Moreover, the surname branched off into a clan derived from an ancestor named Temuer or Timur (帖木儿) with the grant of a seal who used the character since Ming dynasty. From the history records, it may refer to Knight of Fenyang, who is the descendant of Godan Khan.[2]

Blood type distribution

Population of surname Song's ABO blood type distribution is O blood type 31.3%, B blood type 30.6%, A blood type 28.4% and AB blood type 9.7%.[7]

Variations

A less common Chinese family name, Chóng (崇) can also be transliterated to Soong in some Chinese dialects.

The surname Song is also used in Korea.

In Vietnam, the surname is pronounced as Tống.

Notable people

Historical figures

Modern figures
  • Song Yuren, b. 1857, early period positive reformist philosopher
  • Charlie Soong, b. 1863, missionary and businessman, several of whose children were highly influential in early 20th century China:
  • Sir Song Ong Siang, b. 1871, Singaporean lawyer and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
  • Song Shijie, b. 1873, Chinese revolutionary
  • Song Jiaoren, b. 1882, President of the Kuomintang
  • Song Zheyuan, b. 1885, Kuomintang general
  • Soong Ai-ling, b. 1890, wife of H. H. Kung
  • Soong Ching-ling, b. 1893, wife of Sun Yat Sen and Vice chairman of the People's Republic of China
  • T. V. Soong, b. 1894, businessman and Premier of the Republic of China
  • Soong Mei-ling, b. 1897, wife of Chiang Kai-shek
  • Song Shi-Lun, b. 1899, PLA general
  • Song Renqiong, b. 1909, PLA general
  • Song Ping, b. 1917, Communist Party official
  • Song Xi, b. 1920, former President of the Chinese Culture University
  • Song Jian, b. 1931, aerospace engineer, demographer, and politician
  • James Soong, b. 1942, Republic of China governor
  • Song Defu (politician), b. 1946, Communist Party politician
  • Sung, Chi-li, b. 1948, Taiwanese religious leader
  • Song Tao, b. 1955, diplomat and politician
  • Song Xiaobo, b. 1958, female basketball player and coach
  • Song Dandan, b. 1961, actress
  • Song Lianyong, b. 1965, football player from Hong Kong
  • Song Tao, b. 1965, basketball player
  • Song Zuying, b. 1966, ethnic Miao Chinese singer
  • Song Ligang, b. 1967, Chinese basketball player
  • Song Weiping, b. 1967, billionaire
  • Song Zude, b. 1968, entertainment manager
  • Anna Song, b. 1976, Taiwanese American journalist
  • Song Aimin, b. 1978, discus thrower
  • Devon Song, b. 1980, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
  • Song Lun, b. 1981, figure skater
  • Song Zhenyu, b. 1981, football player
  • Song Hongjuan, b. 1984, Chinese race walker
  • Sarah Song, b. 1985, Miss Chinese International 2007
  • Song Qian b. 1987, leader of the female South Korean group f(x)
  • Song Yuqi, b. 1999, dancer, singer, member of the South Korean group (G)I-DLE
  • Song Dan, b. 1990, female Chinese javelin thrower
  • Song Nan, b. 1990, figure skater
  • Sung Chia-Hao, b. 1992, Taiwanese baseball pitcher who plays with Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
  • Song Andong, b. 1997, first Chinese-born ice hockey player ever drafted by an NHL pro team (2015)
  • Sung Yu-hsieh, b. 1956, former Minister of Research, Development and Evaluation Commission of the Republic of China
  • Jeannette Song, Chinese and American management scientist
  • Sung Nien-yu, b. 1983, Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and record producer
  • Raymond Song, b. 1994, Taiwanese chess player
  • Song Weilong, b. 1999, Chinese actor and model
  • Song Yaxuan, b. 2004, Chinese singer and actor

Fictional characters

See also
  • Song (Korean name)
  • Brenda Song, b. 1988, 熊 (original surname Xiong (熊; Xyooj in Hmong), but changed their last name to Song when the family immigrated to the United States
  • Xirong, ancient people
  • Goumang, ancient mascot
  • Taiyi Zhenren, a deity in Chinese religion and Taoism

References
  1. Gopal Sukhu (2017). The Songs of Chu, An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poetry by Qu Yuan and Others. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-231-54465-8.
  2. 徐铁生 (2017). 《百家姓》新解. 北京: 中华书局. pp. 303–304. ISBN 9787101125337.
  3. Li Yueshen (2006). 松江府宋氏家族世系及文学成就概述. Journal of Zhejiang University.
  4. Sterling Seagrave (1986). The Soong Dynasty. New York: Harper & Row, Publisher. pp. 23, 63. ISBN 0-06-091318-5.
  5. Hannah Pakula (2009). The Last Empress, Madame Chiang Kai-shek and the Birth of Modern China. Simon & Schuster. pp. Chapter 1. ISBN 978-1-4391-4893-8.
  6. Laura Hostetler (2001). Qing Colonial Enterprise: Ethnography and Cartography in Early Modern China. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press. pp. 134–137. ISBN 0-226-35420-2.
  7. 袁义达等 (2002). 中国姓氏：群体遗传和人口分布. 华东师范大学出版社. p. 96. ISBN 7-5617-2769-0.
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