The Zeng surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,605 people carried this name — #4,662 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 38,800 people counted. That is up 105% from 3,711 in 2000.

See Zeng on the map Look up another surname

Share

Where the name comes from

The origin of the Zeng surname

From the pinyin romanization of Mandarin 曾 (Zēng).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Zeng» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 222 people named Zeng live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 129
City of Buenos Aires 93

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

89 people named Zeng live in Switzerland.

They live in 11 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 25
Geneva 16
Vaud 15
Basel-Stadt 6
St. Gallen 6
Basel-Landschaft 5
Lucerne 4
Neuchâtel 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 28 people named Zeng live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Antwerp 10
Flemish Brabant 8
Brussels-Capital 5
East Flanders 5

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

178 people named Zeng are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 158
Finland (2026) 20

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Zeng in American newspapers,
1847–1910.

Newspaper page from Carroll Free Press carrying the name Zeng
Carroll Free Press 1847-09-17
Newspaper page from The Bemidji Daily Pioneer carrying the name Zeng
The Bemidji Daily Pioneer 1910-03-03
Newspaper page from Carroll Free Press carrying the name Zeng
Carroll Free Press 1847-09-10

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,849 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Zeng,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Zeng Zao d. 1155 · writer
  • Zeng Jun d. 1570 · politician
  • Tseng Chung-ming d. 2015 · politician
  • Zeng Tianyang d. 1854
  • Zeng Xie d. 1173
  • Zeng Tian d. 1152

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Zeng,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States33 records

33 records of the Zeng name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 19
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 8
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 3
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 3
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Friedrich Zeng

    Arrived at New York in 1871 aboard the Europa from Glasgow, aged 43; farmer. From Prussia, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  2. The receipt card sent under the U.S. Alien Registration Act of 1940
    Example: U.S. alien registration card, 1940s
    Alien registration Andrios Zeng

    Born 1875 in Romania. Registered as a foreign national in Niles, Ohio, under the Alien Registration Act of 1940.

    U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain)
  3. An Oregon State Board of Health certificate of death, 1910
    Example: U.S. death certificate, 1910
    Death record Louise Zeng

    Died 1927 in Brooklyn, New York, aged 46.

    NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data)

Showing 3 of 33 records for Zeng in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Alien Registration Receipt Card, Form AR-3, photo by Bobjgalindo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0); Certificate of death, Oregon State Board of Health, 1910, Oregon State Archives (public domain).

Germany40 records

40 records of the Zeng name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 39
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hermann Zeng

    From Wittenförden. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 14 October 1916 (Fusilier Regiment No. 90).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Jakob Zeng

    Left Emmendingen as an emigrant in 1849.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hans Zeng

    From Elmshorn. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 18 January 1919 (Infantry Regiment No. 373).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 40 records for Zeng in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

France3 records

3 records of the Zeng name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Ying Chang Zeng

    Born 1946 in China; died 2001 in Cayenne (Guyane).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Zeng in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Zeng name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Karl Nicolaus Zeng

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1854 in Langerlo.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Karel Nicolaas Zeng

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1854 in Langula Pruissen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia1 record

1 record of the Zeng name in Australia Canberra cemetery and marriage records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Guo Zhong Zeng

    Died 1999; buried at Gungahlin Cemetery, Canberra, ACT.

    ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Zeng.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Zeng is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Zeng volume
Scroll to Top