This is a Chinese surname, which like many oriental names can also be described as "descriptively ornamental". It translates as "hanging bell", and as such is a typical example of a surname which is designed to be pleasant and inoffensive. The similar sounding "Chang" for instance, which is both Chinese and Korean, can mean a variety of things such as "bow-string", or "open mountain", or "constant". Curiously Germany, the origin of most agressive Anglo-Saxon and Norman surnames, is also the home of 18th century ornamental names such as Grenberg (Green mountain) or Brumfeld (Broom field), all designed to give a pleaant feel to the name. Unfortunately we are not able to provide early examples of Chines and Korean surname recordings. There are two reasons. Firstly they rarely existed at all except amongst the noblest of families, and secondly when they did exist they were written in the native tongue of the area, and have either been destroyed or have not usually been translated into a Romanish copy. This means that the surname in its "anglicised" form is usually recorded either in the United States of America, and then only from about 1930, or very occasionally in the surviving registers of former English or Dutch colonies.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024