This surname is known as HwanginKorean. In Vietnamese, the name is known as HoàngorHuỳnh.
Huang is the 7th most common surname in China. Hoang/Huynh is the 5th most common surname in Vietnam.[3] The population of Huangs in China and Taiwan was estimated at more than 35 million in 2020; it was also the surname of more than 2 million overseas Chinese, 5.7 million Vietnamese (6%), and an estimated 1 million Koreans (The 2015 census of South Korea revealed it was the surname for 697,171 South Koreans, ranked 16th).[4]
Huang is also the pinyin romanization of the very rare surname 皇.
Huỳnh is the cognate adopted in Southern and most parts of Central Vietnam because of a naming taboo decree which banned the surname Hoàng, due to similarity between the surname and the name of LordNguyễn Hoàng.
Huang is an ancient surname. According to tradition, there are several different origins of the surname, for example as descendants of Bo Yi, Lu Zhong (陸終) or Tai Tai (臺駘).[5] There were also at least three Huang Kingdoms during the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. Most of the people with the surname Huang could track back their ancestors to one of the Huang Kingdoms.[citation needed]
The Dong Yi or Eastern Barbarians were ancient people who lived in eastern China during the prehistoric period. They were one of the Four Barbarians in Chinese culture, along with the Northern Di 北狄, the Southern Man 南蠻, and the Western Rong 西戎. The Dong Yi tribe was the tribal alliance group that consisted of nine tribes in the Huai River Basin 淮水流域: Quan Yi 畎夷, Yu Yi 於夷, Fang Yi 方夷, Huang Yi 黃夷, Bai Yi 白夷, Chi Yi 赤夷, Xuan Yi 玄夷, Feng Yi 風夷 and Yang Yi 陽夷. The Dong Yi tribe people used different birds as their totems and for Huang Yi 黃夷 tribe, Yellow Oriole 黃鶯 was the totem. Later when the people from Huang Yi 黃夷 tribe moved and settled in different parts of China, they adopted Huang 黃 as their surname.[6][7]
The lineage of Huang Clan from the Yellow Emperor is as follows:
1) Yellow Emperor 黃帝 ->2) Chang Yi 昌意 ->3) Zhuanxu Emperor 顓頊帝 ->4) Da Ye 大業 (aka Ye the Great) ->5) Shao Dian 少典 ->6) Nu Shen 女莘 ->7) Da Fei 大費 (aka Fei the Great) ->8) Juan Zhang 卷章 ->9) Wu Hui 吳回 (also known as Zhurong) ->10) Lu Zhong 陸終 ->11) Hui Lian 惠連 (Some accounts state that Hui Lian is son of Fan Ren, son of Lu Zhong). Lu Zhong had six sons:
Eldest Son Fan 樊 (also known as Fan Ren 樊人 or Kun Wu 昆吾) – Legendary Pottery Inventor and Founder of Kunwu Kingdom 昆吾國,
Second Son Ding 定 (also known as Hui Lian 惠连 or Can Hu 參胡) – Founder of Huang Kingdom 黃國,
Third Son Qian (also known as Qian Keng 钱铿) – Legendary God of Longevity and Founder of Da Peng Kingdom 大彭國,
Fourth Son Qiu 求 (also known as Qiu Yan 求言 or Kuai Ren 鄶人)- Founder of Kuai Kingdom 鄶國,
Fifth Son Yan An 晏安 (also known as Cao An 曹安 or Zao An 遭安) – Founder of Zhu Kingdom 邾國, and
In 2220 BC during the reign of Emperor Yao 帝堯, Hui Lian 惠連 scored merits in harnessing river floods. Emperor Yao conferred on Hui Lian the title of Viscount 子 (but the nobility system of ancient China is still not clear) and the state of Can'hu 參胡 (in present-day region of Fenyang, Shanxi province). Emperor Yao renamed Can'hu as State of Huang, and bestowed on Hui Lian the surname Huang 黃 and the name "Yun" 雲. Hence, Hui Lian was also known as Huang Yun 黃雲 or Nan Lu 南陆. Hui Lian became the Progenitor of the Huang surname clan. During Western Zhou dynasty, the rulers of the Huang State was given the title of Duke 公. The descendants of Huang Yun (Hui Lian) ruled the Huang State of Shanxi until the early Spring and Autumn period (722 BC-481 BC) when it was conquered by the State of Jin.
Another lineage of Huang Clan from the Yellow Emperor is as follows:
1) Yellow Emperor 黃帝 ->2) Shao Hao 少昊 ->3) Jiao Ji 嬌極 ->4) Hui Gong 揮公 ->5) Mei 昧 ->6) Tai Tai 臺駘. Tai Tai helped Zhuan Xu Emperor 顓頊, and he and his descendants (Jin Tian Clan 金天氏) were enfeoffed with Fen Zhou 汾州 at Fen River 汾河 which was further divided into four kingdoms – Huang Kingdom 黃國, Shen Kingdom 沈國, Ru Kingdom 蓐國 and Si Kingdom 姒國.
In 891 BC King Xiao of Zhou conferred on the 53rd generation descendant of Hui Lian, Huang Xi 黃熙 (aka Huang Shi 黃石) the nobility of 'Hou' 侯 (marquis) and a fiefdom in the region east of the Han river 漢水 (in present-day region of Yicheng, Hubei province) called 'Huang' 黃 (Not to be confused with the Huang State of Fenyang, Shanxi) with the four states Jiang 江, Huang 黃 (founded by 伯益 Bo Yi's 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 西黃) in history.
During the Jin dynasty (266–420), 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 Huang clansmen migrated to Fujian.
According to Min Shu 閩書 (Book of Min) (Quoted from Chung Yoon-Ngan):
"During the second year (of the reign) of Yongjia (308AD) the Central Plain was in chaos and the eight clans:- Lin 林, Huang 黃, 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 (618–907) onwards, many Han Chinese migrated from FujiantoGuangdong and the other southern provinces. Huang grew into a big clan in south China and it is the 3rd biggest surname in Southern China today. The Cantonese Baiyue adopted Huang surname as well.
Huang migration overseas began as early as the 14th century during the Ming dynasty to destinations in Southeast Asia. Migration to Americas began only in the mid-19th century following the forced opening of China's doors to the West. Huang is one of the largest Chinese surname clans in Americas today. The population of overseas Huang Clansmen was estimated at 2 million in 2000.
The surname 皇 has several origins:
1. The descendants of the Three Emperors of ancient China.
2. The descendants of Duke Dai of Song's prince named Huangfu Chongshi 皇父充石.
3.An ancient book Xing Kao 姓考 says Zheng Kingdom has a royal clan named Huang clan 皇氏.
Huang is the 7th most common surname in China, and the 3rd most common surname in Taiwan. It is also one of the common surnames among Zhuang People, the largest ethnic minority in China, and is also the most common surname in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.[8] 19% of people from China with Surname Huang live in Guangdong Province. The population of people named Huang in China was approximately 29 million and in Taiwan about 1.4 million.
In 2019 Huang was again the seventh most common surname in mainland China.[8]
A 2013 study found that it was the seventh-most common surname, shared by 32,600,000 people or 2.450% of the population, with the province having the most people being Guangdong.[9]
Ong Sum Ping 黃森屏 Huang Senping, Noble of Brunei. Street Name in Brunei Capital of Bandar Seri Begawan Jalan Ong Sum Ping (only street in Brunei with Chinese name) was named after him
Huang Ting Jian 黃庭堅 (1045–1105), Song dynasty noted filial son, poet, scholar, magistrate, and calligrapher. One of the "Song Four" (宋四家) and one of the "Four Scholar of Su'men" (蘇門四學士)
Huang Zong Xi 黃宗羲 (1610–1695), Ming-Qing dynasties naturalist, political theorist, philosopher, historian and educator, one of the famous "Eastern Zhe'jiang Three Huangs" (浙東三黃), one of the "Four Worthies of Yu'yao" (餘姚四賢) and one of the "Early Qing Five Grandmasters" (清初五大師)
Huang Bai Tao 黃百韬 (1900–1948), Chinese Nationalist General active in the Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War, for which he was twice awarded the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun, the highest honor a Chinese commander can achieve
Huang Bamei 黃八妹 (1906–1982), Chinese pirate and naval commander
Huang Ju 黃菊 (1938–2007), Former Vice Premier of China
Wong Jumsum 黃沾, also known as James Wong Jim (1940–2004), Renowned Lyricist, Writer and one of the "Four Talent of Hong Kong" 香港四大才子
Huang Kan 黃侃 (1886–1935), Early Republic of China period Chinese philologist, revolutionary and one of the Sinology experts known as "Seven Accomplished of Jiang'nan" 江南七彥. Together with famous Literary Figure Li Lianggong 李亮工, he is also known as "Southern Huang and Northern Li" 南黃北李.
Huang Min Lon 黃鸣龙 (1898–1979), Chinese organic chemist and pharmaceutical scientist; Pioneer and founder of modern pharmaceutical industries in China. The "Huang Modification" or "Huang-Minlon Modification" is named after Huang Minglon. It was the first time that a Chinese name appeared in an organic chemical reaction
Huang Ting Ting 黄婷婷 (born 1992), Chinese singer and member of the idol group SNH48
Wong Tze Wah 黃子華orDayo Wong (born 1960), Hong Kong stand-up comedian, actor, presenter, screenwriter, and singer-songwriter who is the pioneer of stand-up comedy in Hong Kong
Huang Tzu 黃自 (1904–1938), Chinese musician of the early 20th century
Wong Wang Fat 黃宏发orAndrew Wong (born 1943), Last President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong during British rule and the only person of Chinese ethnicity to have served in the position during British rule
Huang Wei 黄伟 (born 1959), Chinese real estate developer and billionaire
Huang Wei Lu 黃緯祿 (1916–2011), One of China's pioneer missile scientists, one of the "Four Elders of China's Aerospace" and Winner of "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Award
Huang Xin Rui 黃新瑞, better known as John "Buffalo" Huang (1914–1941), ace fighter pilot; original contingent of American volunteer combat aviators joining the Chinese Air Force during the War of Resistance/WWII
Huang Xu Hua 黃旭華, One of the chief designers for China's first generation of nuclear submarines
Wong Ah Fook 黄亚福 (1837–1918), Malaysian Chinese entrepreneur, and philanthropist who left an indelible imprint on the state of Johor in present-day Malaysia
Ng Chee Meng 黄志明 (born 1968), Minister for Education (Schools), Senior Minister of State (Ministry of Transport), Second Minister for Transport and Former Chief of Defence Force of Singapore
Huang Cheng Hui 黄呈辉, also known as John K.C. Ng (1939–2013), Filipino Chinese businessman, philanthropist, former Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for China Affairs
Huang Ching He 黄瀞亿 (born 1978), British Chinese food writer and chef
Ng Choon Siong 黄俊雄orElvin Ng (born 1980), Singaporean actor and model
Wee Cho Yaw 黄祖耀 (1929–2024), Singaporean businessman, and the current Chairman of the United Overseas Bank (UOB) and United Industrial Corporation (UIC) in Singapore
Huang Chuang Shan 黄创山, also known as Keeree Kanjanapas (born 1950), Thailand-based entrepreneur with extensive business interests in mass transit and real estate in the Kingdom of Thailand
Huang Jun Rong 黄俊融orJarrell Huang (born 2000), Singaporean singer and actor
Ong Ka Chuan 黄家泉 (born 1954), Secretary-General of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Former Minister of Housing and Local Government and Current Second Minister for International Trade and Industry of Malaysia
Ong Ka Ting 黄家定 (born 1956), President of Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Minister of Housing and Local Government and Acting Minister of Health of Malaysia
Wong Mun Charn 黄门赞 (1918–2002), Chinese American businessman and first Chinese-American fighter pilot
Huang Pei Qian 黄培谦orPuey Ungpakorn ป๋วย อึ๊งภากรณ์ (1916–1999), Thai bureaucrat who played a central role in the shaping of Thailand's economic development and in the strengthening of its system of higher education
Wong Peng Soon 黄秉璇 (1918–1996), Chinese Malaysian badminton player who reigned as a top player in Malaya from the 1930s to the 1950s
Huang Ren Yu 黄仁宇orRay Huang (1918–2000), Chinese historian and philosopher, best known in his later years for the idea of macro history
Huang Ru You 黄如佑 Loke Yew (1845–1917), businessman and philanthropist in British Malaya. He was regarded as the richest man in British Malaya during his time.
Huang Ruo 黄若 (born 1976), Chinese American Composer, pianist and vocalist
Huang Shao Fan 黄少凡 or Hasan Karman (born 1962), Former Mayor of Singkawang, West Kalimantan and First Chinese Mayor of Indonesia
Wong Yee Ching 黄以静orFlossie Wong-Staal (1947–2020), Chinese American virologist and molecular biologist. She was the first scientist to clone HIV and determine the function of its genes, a major step in proving that HIV is the cause of AIDS.
Ng Yen Yen 黄燕燕 (born 1946), Malaysian Chinese politician, former Minister of Tourism in the Malaysian Cabinet and Current Vice-president of Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)
Huang Yi Ming 黄颐铭orEddie Huang (born 1981), Chinese American restaurateur, chef, food personality, writer, and Attorney
Wong Ying Yen 黄英贤orPenny Wong (born 1968), Senator and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Former Minister for Finance and Deregulation, and Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water of Australia
Huang Yi Yu 黄毅瑜orJames Wong (born 1959), Chinese American Television Producer, Writer and Film Director
Huang Yuan Ling 黄苑玲orRuthlane Uy Asmundson (born 1945), Former Mayor of the City of Davis, California and First Female Filipino Migrant to be elected into the position of mayor in an American city
Huang Yu De Hu 黄欲德虎orCham Prasidh ចម ប្រសិទ្ធ (born 1951), Current Minister of Industry and Handicrafts and Former Minister of Commerce of Cambodia
Huang Yu Tang 黄玉堂orNelson Wang (born 1950), Indian Chinese restaurateur
Huang Zhe Lun 黄哲伦orDavid Henry Hwang (born 1957), Chinese American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor
Huang Zhen Tan 黄祯谭orAlfonso A. Uy, Filipino Chinese businessman, and former and first President of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry
The Vietnamese versions of this surname are Hoàng and Huỳnh. According to Lê Trung Hoa, a Vietnamese scholar, approximately 5.1 percent of Vietnamese people have this surname.[10] The original form of this surname was Hoàng. But in southern Vietnam, Hoàng was ordered to be changed (excluding the Hoàng Trọng family) to Huỳnh due to a naming taboo with the name of Lord Nguyễn Hoàng.
Hoàng Cầm (1916–1996), Inventor of the Việt Minh Hoàng Cầm stove
Hoàng Cao Khải 黃高啟 (1850–1933), Viceroy of Tonkin (locally known as Bắc Kỳ), the northernmost of the three parts of Vietnam under French colonial rule, Minister of War 兵部尚書, Duke of Duyên Mậu Quận (Duyên Mậu Quận Công 延茂郡公) and Prince's Tutor 太子太傅ofNguyễn dynasty
Hoàng Châu Ký (1921–2008), Vietnamese professor of literature and playwright
Hoàng Cơ Minh (1935–1987), First Chairman of the Việt Tân (Vietnam Reform Party) and Democracy Activist
Hoàng Kế Viêm 黃繼炎 (1820–1909), Nguyễn dynasty General, Dong'ge Grand Secretariat 東閣大學士, Viscount of Địch Trung (Địch Trung Tử 迪忠子) and Count of Địch Trung (Địch Trung Bá 迪忠伯)
Hoàng Văn Chí (1913–1988), One of the first Vietnamese political writers, and prominent intellectual who was an opponent of colonialism and later of communism in Vietnam
Alex Huynh, Vietnamese-American martial artist and stuntman
Carol Huynh (born 1980), Vietnamese-Canadian freestyle wrestler
Huỳnh Công Út (born 1951), Photographer for the Associated Press (AP) who works out of Los Angeles. He won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography for "The Terror of War", depicting children in flight from a napalm bombing.
Huỳnh Tường Đức 黃奉德 Nguyễn Huỳnh Đức 阮黃德 (1748–1819), Nguyễn dynasty Founding Grand General (輔國上將軍, 上柱國), Grand Tutor 太傅, Duke of Kiến Xương (Kiến Xương Quận Công 建昌郡公) and one of the『Five Tiger-Generals of Gia Định』(Gia Định ngũ hổ tướng 嘉定五虎將)
Huang Bu-Ling 黄 歩鈴, member of the Mew Mew team in the 2002 Japanese manga series Tokyo Mew Mew
Huang Feihu 黃飛虎, General of Shang dynasty and later of Zhou dynasty, Prince of Wu'cheng 國武成王 and Great Emperor of the Mount Tai "Dongyue Taishan Tianqi Rensheng Dadi" 東嶽泰山天齊仁聖大帝 who oversees the fortunes and fates of mortals and the Eighteen Levels of Hell in Chinese classic novel Fengshen Yanyi (The Investiture of the Gods)
Huang Xin 黃信, Nickname: "Guardian of the Three Mountains", Scouting general of the Liangshan cavalry, 38th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and Deity of Di'sha Star 地煞星inWater Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature
Huang Yaoshi 黃藥師, Nickname: "Eastern Heretic" (東邪), Master of Peach Blossom Island and one of the Five Greats of the wulin (martial artists' community) during the Song dynasty in Jin Yong's wuxia novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and its sequel "The Return of the Condor Heroes"
