History
The pronunciation of 莊 has been reconstructed as *tsraŋ in Old Chinese and Tsrjang in Middle Chinese; its original meaning was "dignified" and "grave".
As with many Chinese surnames, the current bearers come from a variety of origins, some legendary.
The Manuscript of the Words and Deeds of Virtuous Clans claimed that the first Zhuangs were descended from King Zhuang of Chu.
Another group descended from Duke Dai of Song, who was also known as Zhuang.
During the Warring States period, the general Zhuang Qiao (庄跤) of Chu attacked Shu but was blocked from returning home by Qin troops. He proclaimed himself king of Dian. A third group were the subjects of this realm.
All three groups found themselves bound to change their names upon the ascension of the Han Ming Emperor, whose personal name was Zhuang, owing to the naming taboo.
By the period of the Sixteen States, however, the Zhuangs had spread from Lianghu to other regions such as Shandong, Gansu, Zhejiang, and Fujian.
Read more about this topic: Zhuang (surname)
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