Ouyang () is a

Chinese surname Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicization, Sinicized ethnic groups in Greater China, Korea, Vietnam and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Written Chinese names begin with surnames, ...

. It is the most common two-character

Chinese compound surname A Chinese compound surname is a Chinese surname using more than one character. Many of these compound surnames derive from Zhou dynasty Chinese noble and official titles, professions, place names and other areas, to serve a purpose. Some are or ...

, being the only two-character name of the 400 most common Chinese surnames, according to a 2013 study.

Variations/transliterations

Chinese language Chinese ( or ) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and List of ethnic groups in China, many minority ethnic groups in China, as well as by various communities of the Chinese diaspora. Approximately 1.39& ...

s : ''Ouyang'', ''Oyang'', ''O Yang'', ''O'Yang'', ''Owyang'', ''Au Yong'', ''Auyong'', ''Ah Yong'', ''Auyang'', ''Auyeung'', ''Au Yeung'', ''Au Yeang'', ''Au Yeong'', ''Au Ieong'', ''Ao Ieong'', ''Eoyang'', ''Oyong'', ''O'Young'', ''Auwjong'', ''Ojong'', ''Owyong'', ''Ou Young'', ''Ow Yeong'', ''Ow Young'' *

Vietnamese language Vietnamese () is an Austroasiatic languages, Austroasiatic language Speech, spoken primarily in Vietnam where it is the official language. It belongs to the Vietic languages, Vietic subgroup of the Austroasiatic language family. Vietnamese is s ...

s : ''An-dương'', ''Arang'', ''Orang'', ''Urang'' (安陽, in ancient Annam), ''Âu-dương'' (

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...

), ''Âu-giương'' ( Central), ''Âu-dzương'' ( Southern), ''Âu-rương'', ''Âu-lương'', ''Âu-lang'', ''Âu-giang'' *

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

: 구양 (''Guyang'') *

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: (おうよう, ''Ōyō'')

History

The

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

historian

Ouyang Xiu Ouyang Xiu (; 1007 – 1072 CE), courtesy name Yongshu, also known by his art names Zuiweng () and Liu Yi Jushi (), was a Chinese historian, calligrapher, epigrapher, essayist, poet, and politician of the Song dynasty. He was a renowned writer a ...

traced the Ouyang surname to Ti (,

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

: Tí), a prince of Yue, the second son of King Wujiang (). After his state was extinguished by the state of

Chu Chu or CHU may refer to: Chinese history * Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty * Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu * Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the H ...

, Ti and his family lived in the south side of the Mount Ouyu (, currently called Mount Sheng in

Huzhou Huzhou (, ; Huzhou dialect: Romanization of Wu Chinese, ''ghou² cieu¹'') is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province (Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou Plain, China). Lying south of the Lake Tai, it borders Jiaxing to the east, Hangzho ...

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

). In

Classical Chinese Classical Chinese is the language in which the classics of Chinese literature were written, from . For millennia thereafter, the written Chinese used in these works was imitated and iterated upon by scholars in a form now called Literary ...

, the south side of a mountain or the north bank of a river is called Yang (), thus the Ti family was called Ouyang. He was called Marquis of Ouyang Village (). Traditionally, Ti's ancestry can be traced through his father Wujiang, the King of Yue, to the semi-legendary

Yu the Great Yu the Great or Yu the Engineer was a legendary king in ancient China who was credited with "the first successful state efforts at flood control", his establishment of the Xia dynasty, which inaugurated Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic ru ...

(). According to a 2013 study, Ouyang was the 169th most common name in China, being shared by around 910000 people or 0.068% of the total population, with the province with the most people with the name being

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

Geographical origins

In terms of distribution Ouyangs have mostly been confined to southern China, especially the areas of southern

Jiangxi ; Gan: ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = , translit_lang1_type3 = , translit_lang1_info3 = , image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_caption = Location ...

, central

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

and eastern

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

, with smaller pockets in

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

and

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

Notable clans

The most prominent of the Ouyang clans historically was undoubtedly that of Yongfeng in

, which produced a number of scholars who reached prominence in the imperial bureaucracy. Genealogical lineages and family trees have been established for a number of Ouyang clans around China, showing migration patterns from the Song to the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. In

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, this clan was often shortcut as Âu (歐), Dương (阳) or Dương/Giàng (陽).

Notable people

Catalina Ouyang Catalina Ouyang is an American sculptor and installation artist who lives and works in New York City. Career Ouyang's sculptures often incorporate atypical materials, from horse tibias and cigarette butts to a replica of a trench toilet in its e ...

, American artist *Ouyang Feiying, 1930s Shanghai singer * Ouyang Feifei, Taiwanese-Japanese singer *

Ouyang Nana Ouyang Nana (; born June 15, 2000) is a Taiwanese singer, musician and actress. A member of the Ouyang family, known for its artistic background in Taiwan, she has primarily focused her career in mainland China, known for films '' Beijing Love ...

, Taiwanese musician, singer and actress * Ouyang Didi, Taiwanese singer and member of girl group

Gen1es Gen1es () is a girl group based in Thailand under Ryce Entertainment. They were formed through the 2024 reality show ''Chuang Asia: Thailand'' on Tencent Video, WeTV. The group consists of nine members: Qiao Yiyu, Ruan, Pailiu, Yean, Elyn, Wang ...

* Ouyang Xiadan, CCTV News reporter *

, Song dynasty scholar *

Ouyang Xun Ouyang Xun ( zh, c=歐陽詢, w=Ou-yang Hsün, p=Ōuyáng Xún; 557–641), courtesy name Xinben ( zh, c=信本, w=Hsin-pên, p=Xìn běn), was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, and writer of the early Tang dynasty. He was born in Changsha, Huna ...

, Tang dynasty scholar *

Ouyang Zhan Ouyang Zhan (; 758–801;Hong, p. 34. courtesy name Xingzhou 行周) was a Chinese poet and politician of the late Tang dynasty. The account of his death from grief for a deceased lover gained great popularity in ninth-century China. Life Ouyang ...

, Tang dynasty scholar * Ouyang Yibing, Chinese film scripter *

Ouyang Ziyuan Ouyang Ziyuan (, born October 9, 1935) is a Chinese cosmochemist, geochemist and space advocate. He is a research professor at the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Asteroid 8919 Ouyangziyuan, discovered in 1996, w ...

, Chinese cosmochemist and geochemist, chief scientist in charge of the

Chinese Lunar Exploration Program The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP; ), also known as the Chang'e Project () after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e, is an ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Engineering Program ...

*Âu Dương Quân, Vietnamese footballer of

JMG Academy The JMG Academy is a sports organisation and training company established by French international football player Jean-Marc Guillou. Overview Guillou had established Académie de Sol Beni in Abidjan in 1994 via a partnership with ASEC Mimosas ...

*Âu Dương Thanh, former Vietnamese footballer of Customs F.C. *

Au Yeung Yiu Chung Au Yeung Yiu Chung (; born 11 July 1989), commonly known as Au Chung, is a former Hong Kong professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Au Yeung studied at Yan Chai Hospital Tung Chi Ying Memorial Secondary School in Sha ...

, Hong Kong

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

Bobby Au-yeung Au-Yeung Tsan-wah (born 28 July 1960), earlier known as Bobby Au-yeung, is a Hong Kong actor best known for his comedic roles in many TVB television dramas. He gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Ben Yu in the 1991 le ...

, Hong Kong actor *Mieke Oeyang, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy *

Susanna Au-yeung Susanna Au-yeung (; 6 December 1953 – 9 July 2017) was a Hong Kong actress. Born Chan Kit Ying (), Au-yeung began acting in the 1960s and retired in 1993, ostensibly because she was chosen as a backup for actresses who decided to leave their rol ...

, Hong Kong actress and acupuncturist * Elsie Ao Ieong, Macau

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture (; ) is a department of the Macao Government. The Secretariat is responsible for the education, health, tourism, social affairs and culture issues in the region. The current department took over the ...

* Ean Yong Hian Wah, Malaysian politician * Ean Yong Tin Sin, Malaysian politician *

Stephen Oyoung Stephen Oyoung is an American actor, former stuntman and martial artist best known for portraying Martin Li / Mister Negative in the 2018 video game ''Spider-Man'' and its 2023 sequel, and US Navy Dive Master "Pills" in '' Mission: Impossible ...

, Chinese-American actor * Jimmy O. Yang, born Au-yeung Man-sing, Chinese-American stand-up comedian and actor *

MC Jin Jin Au-Yeung (; born June 4, 1982), known professionally as MC Jin, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and comedian of Chinese descent. Jin is notable for being the first Asian American Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry ...

, born Jin Au Yeung, hip-hop artist *

Myra Sidharta Myra Sidharta (born Auw Jong Tjhoen Moy on 6 March 1927, Belitung) is an Indonesian writer, psychologist, and educator of Chinese descent. She specializes in Chinese Indonesian communities and Malay literature. In 2001, she published ''In Searc ...

, born Auwjong Tjhoen Moy, Indonesian historian *

Darryl O'Young Darryl Hayden O'Young () is a Canadian-born Hong Kong racing driver. Career Early career O'Young began racing in 1988 at the age of eight. Trained by his father he honed his driving skills in karting winning numerous championships. The highlight ...

, Chinese name Au-Yeung Ruoxi,

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

-born

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

racing driver * Petrus Kanisius Ojong, born Auwjong Peng Koen, co-founder of

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

Kompas ''Kompas'' () is an Indonesian national newspaper published in Jakarta, founded on 28 June 1965. It is published by PT Kompas Media Nusantara, which is part of Kompas Gramedia Group. The paper's head office is located at the Kompas Multimedia ...

*Francis Ouyang, Chief of Hospital Medicine VA Medical Center, United States. *Pearl Au Yeung, Hong Kong Children's book author-illustrator

Culture

ese scholars, 歐陽 may be an origin of words ''văn-lang'' (minang / 文郎), ''mê-linh'' (maleng / 麊泠), ''âu-lạc'' (urang, orang, anak / 甌雒, 甌駱) and ''an-dương'' (arang / 安陽) what means "people" or "country" in ancient Tai and

Malayo-Polynesian languages The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. The Malayo-Polynesian languages are spoken by the Austronesian peoples outside of Taiwan, in the island nations of Southeas ...

. *

: Anak *

Muong language Muong may refer to: *Muong people The Mường (Muong language, Mường Bi dialect: ''mõl Mường''; ) are an ethnic group native to northern Vietnam. The Mường is the country's third largest of 53 minority groups, with an estimated pop ...

s : ''Rú rác'' (in ancient), ''nú nác'' (in modern) *

Vietic languages The Vietic languages are a branch of the Austroasiatic language family, spoken by the Vietic peoples in Laos and Vietnam. The branch was once referred to by the terms ''Việt–Mường'', ''Annamese–Muong'', and ''Vietnamuong''; the term ' ...

: ''Núi nước'' (in ancient), ''đất nước'' (in modern)

References

{{101-200 Most Common Family Names in Mainland China Yue (state) Chinese-language surnames Individual Chinese surnames