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Meng Family History

Meng Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 孟 meaning ‘eldest among brothers and sisters born of a concubine’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the title Meng Sun (孟孙) traced back to Qin Fu (died 660 BC) the eldest son of the Duke Huan of Lu (the 15th ruler of the state of Lu died 694 BC) in the state of Lu (located mainly in present-day Shandong province). Though Qin Fu was the eldest son of the king he only earned a title called ‘Zhong Sun’ (meaning ‘the second eldest among brothers and sisters’) because he was born of a concubine. He later murdered two kings in the state of Lu and eventually committed suicide.

Because of the notoriety for his vice his descendants changed his original title ‘Zhong Sun’ to a relatively inferior title ‘Meng Sun’ and later shortened it to Meng (孟). (ii) from Meng Tu (孟塗) the name of an ancient state (located in Mengzhou and Mengjin in Henan province) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (iii) from the personal name of Meng Zhi (孟絷) style name of the elder brother of the Duke Ling of Wey (the 28th ruler of the state of Wey 540–493 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 蒙 meaning ‘to suffer’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Meng Shuang (蒙雙) the name of a fief (located in Shangqiu in Henan province). (ii) shortened form of the compound surname Meng Shan (蒙山) the name of a hill (located in present-day Shandong province) where an annual sacrifice was held by an official with the title Dong Meng Zhu.

(iii) from the placename Meng (蒙) the name of a fief (located in Hubei province) granted to an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Chinese: alternative Cantonese form of the surname 明 see Ming.

Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 閔 see Min. German: from a form of the personal name Magnus. German: variant of Menger. Germanized form of Sorbian Měńk ‘burbot’ (see Menk). Danish: habitational name from a place so named. Danish: variant of Mang.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Meng family from?

You can see how Meng families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Meng family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Meng families were found in USA in 1880. In 1841 there was 1 Meng family living in Ross and Cromarty. This was 100% of all the recorded Meng's in Scotland. Ross and Cromarty had the highest population of Meng families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Meng surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1841
  • 1871
  • 1891
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What did your Meng ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Meng. 18% of Meng men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Meng women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Meng were Machinist and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Meng | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    18%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Machinist
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Bookkeeper
    10%
  • Stenographer
    10%

What Meng family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Meng. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Meng census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Meng

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Meng. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Meng immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Meng. For the veterans among your Meng ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Meng lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Meng life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Meng in 1958 was 59, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Meng

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Meng ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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