Xing Family History

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 邢: (i) from Xing (邢) the name of an ancient state (located in Xingtai in Hebei province) granted to the fourth son of Zhou Gong Dan (known as Duke of Zhou or Duke Wen of Zhou the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou (c. 1087–1043 BC)). After the state was annexed by the state of Wey (衛) (located around present-day Hebi and Xinxiang in Henan province) in 635 BC, people kept the name of the state as their surname.

(ii) from the placename Xing (邢) the name of a fief (located in Wenxian in Henan province) granted to descendants of Han Xuan Zi (died 541 BC), a revered official in the state of Jin (located mainly in present-day Shanxi province). Mandarin form of the surname 刑 meaning ‘punishment, penalty’ in Chinese: (i) borne by the descendants of judicial officers in ancient China.

(ii) said to be adopted as a surname by Yu Rang, an assassin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) a surname from the Hun ethnic group in northern China. Mandarin form of the surname 幸 meaning ‘gaining imperial favor’ in ancient Chinese: possibly borne by descendants of those people who gained favor from the emperors or nobles.