Surname Zung - Meaning and Origin
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Zung: What does the surname Zung mean?
The last name Zung is of Chinese origin and is believed to have originated sometime during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
The Chinese character for Zung is 曾, which means "once upon a time" or "formerly". It is a common last name in areas of southern China, including the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong. It is estimated that the family name is held by nearly 2% of the Chinese population.
The Zung family was at one point associated with the Zengshi武術 martial arts, which is a branch of traditional Chinese martial arts. A distinct feature of this specific style of martial arts is that larger or more powerful opponents are not targeted, but instead, the focus is on the weaknesses of the individual opponent. It is also known for its emphasis on dataset weapons, as well as the use of long wooden staffs.
The Zung name is also connected with the activities of troublemakers or bandits, as the surname translates as "always traveling and wandering". The Chinese phrase for betrayal or treachery is also related to the Zung surname, as it literally
translates to "betray a Zung".
No matter the definite origin of the name, the Zung surname has embraced a wide range of meanings and connotations over the years. From martial arts to troublemaking, to betrayal, the name Zung is steeped in Chinese history and culture.
Order DNA origin analysisZung: Where does the name Zung come from?
The last name Zung is commonly found in some areas of East Asia, particularly China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It is also found in some parts of India, as well as among diaspora communities of East Asian origin in other parts of the world.
The surname Zung is known to have originated from the Hunan province in China, with some records of the surname from as early as the 1400s. Its literal meaning in Chinese is "magnificent mountain." Zung is a very popular surname throughout mainland China and Taiwan. As of 2012, it was the 199th most common last name in China, where around 250,000 people share the surname.
In the United States, Zung is one of the less common East Asian surnames. As of the 2010 US Census, around 1,250 Americans had the surname. The majority of Zungs in the US are of Chinese origin, while a small number are of Taiwanese, Indian or Cambodian descent.
Due to the expansion of China's industries and technological advancements, many companies are beginning to relocate their head offices to cities around the world, such as in the United States. Over the last few decades, this has created pockets of the Chinese diaspora in various parts of the world, including North America. As such, it is likely that the surname Zung will become increasingly more common in the years to come, as more Chinese immigrants make their homes abroad.
Variations of the surname Zung
The surname Zung is of Germanic, Jewish and Dutch origin and is derived from the term zunga, meaning a “tongue or language”. Variations, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Zunge, Zang, Zanc, Zenc, Zaun, Zaan, Zon, Zonn, Zauner, Zauning, and Zuinger.
The adoption of the surname Zung is often attributed to the period of Jewish assimilation into Christian Europe. This took place in what is now Germany during the 17th century. Assimilation was the process by which Jewish individuals took on Christendom’s surname conventions by using those of their non-Jewish neighbors.
In German, the surname Zung is pronounced tsoong. Those of this surname who live in Holland generally have the surname Zunge. Jews of Ashkenazi descent may have the surname Zang, and the surname Zanc is also seen in the Netherlands and Germany.
The Hungarian variation of the surname Zung is Zaun, emerging from the Magyar Jewish ancestors of the country. In Romania, this surname is largely found among German-speaking Jews and is spelled Zauner in Romanian. In Sweden and Denmark, the surname Zonn is found for those of this family tree.
In the United States, most instances of the surname Zung have been heard from Jewish immigrants who arrived from Southern Europe during the 19th century. Given that the surname has Germanic, Jewish, and Dutch roots, American variations adopted by individuals of this line include Zauning and Zuinger.
Famous people with the name Zung
- Zung Fei, Chinese artist and calligrapher
- Zung Pang Toh, Hong Kong singer, actress and model
- Ho Zung Wai, Hong Kong actor and singer
- Peter Zung, Austrian race car driver
- Zung Mook Lee, Hong Kong actor
- Zung Tan, Taiwanese singer
- Stephen Zung, American professor and mathematician
- Zung Lu, Chinese diplomat
- Zung Chee Kwong, Singaporean politician
- Abigail Zung, American fashion designer