Liang Clan｜The Liang Clan of Anding: A Great Family of the Two Guangs and Nanyang｜The Surname Archive·SoChina

Key Nanyang Chinese SurnameCentral Plains Origin

OriginsOrigin

Main line: descended from the Ying surname, through Bo Yi. Enfeoffed with the State of Liang in the Zhou dynasty (near Hancheng, Shaanxi); when the state fell, descendants took the state name as their surname.

Multiple origins: surname changes by ethnic minorities and other lines merged in.

Root point: the ancient State of Liang in Shaanxi.

Migration RoutesMigration Routes

▸ Domestic migration: the clan rose in the Guanzhong region; during the Wei–Jin era elite families crossed south to the Jiangnan; in the Tang and Song the Liang moved in great numbers into Guangdong and Guangxi, becoming a dominant surname in the Two Guangs; in the Ming and Qing, the Huguang-to-Sichuan migration.

▸ Overseas branch: the Cantonese and Hakka Liang sailed out from Guangdong, making them one of the oldest overseas surnames in Malaysia.

Cultural SymbolsCULTURAL SYMBOLS

CommanderyAnding 安定

Hall NameAnding Tang 安定堂

Family PreceptsFilial piety and fraternal duty to strengthen kinship; diligence and thrift to raise the family

Ancient NotablesLiang Hong, Liang Hao

Overseas Community Leaders[To be added]

Classic StoryRaising the Tray to the Brow

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The Liang mainstream hall name is Anding Tang, tracing to the ancient State of Liang in Shaanxi. The Two Guangs are the core native place for Liang emigration, and the Liang clan community in Malaysia is especially influential.