Kuang Family History

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 鄺: (i) from Kuang (鄺 also written as 曠), the name of an ancient state (probably located in present-day Anhui province). (ii) said to be adopted in place of the surname 黃 by the sons of Huang Xian, a general during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (656–710 AD). It was said that Huang Xian's two sons changed their surname 黃 (Huang) to 曠 (Kuang) and 鄺 (Kuang) in order to escape from political persecutions because their father Huang Xian lost the battle to the invaders on the frontier. (iii) said to be traced back to Fang Zhun, an official during the Southern Song dynasty (1127 AD – 1279 AD), who was endowed with the surname Kuang (鄺) by the then emperor because Zhun's daughter became the emperor's consort. He was later demoted and moved to Heyuan (located in present-day Guangdong province).

Mandarin form of the surname 匡 meaning ‘rectify’ or ‘assist’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Kuang (匡) the name of a fief (in present-day Yutai in Shandong province) in the state of Lu, which was granted to Gou Xu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC). (ii) from the placename Kuang (匡) the name of a fief (in present-day Changyuan in Henan province) in the state of Wey (衛) during the Spring and Autumn Period. (iii) from the placename Kuang (匡) the name of a fief (in present-day Suixian in Henan province) in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period. (iv) from the placename Kuang (匡) the name of a fief (in present-day Fugou in Henan province) in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Mandarin form of the surname 況 meaning ‘situation’ or ‘circumstances’ in Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of Kuang Chang Ning (況長寧), an official in the state of Shu (located mainly in present-day Sichuan province) during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD). (ii) said to have been adopted as a surname by Kuang Zhong (況鐘), an official in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 AD) whose original surname is said to have been Huang (黃).

Mandarin form of the surname 曠 meaning ‘spacious’ in Chinese: (i) from Kuang (曠 also written as 鄺, see 1 above) the name of an ancient state (probably located in present-day Anhui province). (ii) from the second element of the personal name Shi Kuang (师曠), personal name of a musician in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) said to be adopted in place of the surname 黃 by the sons of Huang Xian, a general during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (656–710 AD). It was said that Huang Xian's two sons changed their surname 黃 (Huang) to 曠 (Kuang) and 鄺 (Kuang, see 1 above) in order to escape from political persecutions because their father Huang Xian lost the battle to the invaders on the frontier.

Variant Romanization of the surnames 關, 管, and 官 see Guan 1 - variant of Guang.