Song is the pinyin transliteration of the Chinese family name 宋. It is transliterated as Sung in Wade-Giles, and Soong is also a common transliteration. In addition to being a common surname, it is also the name of a Chinese dynasty, the Song Dynasty, written with the same character.
The first written record of the character Song was found on the oracle bones of the Shang dynasty. The origin of the character can possibly be dated to an even earlier time (circa 3800BC). Structurally, the character has remained virtually unchanged for nearly 4000 years. The etymology of the character can possibly be traced back to the abstract representation of a totem symbol. With the outer (upper) radical denoting preciousness, and the inner (lower) character representing trees or woods, the entire character literally means "holy wood" or "treasured tree", possibly a totem symbol from the late Neolithic and Bronze Age.
In the written records of Chinese history, the first time the character Song was used as a surname appeared in the early stage of the Zhou dynasty. One of the children of the last emperor of Shang dynasty, Qi Weizi - (子啟), was a duke named Song. The State of Song, Song's personal dominion, became part of the Zhou dynasty when Shang has fallen. Citizens of the former State of Song, to commemorate their fallen state in 286 BC by the State of Qi, began to use the character Song, as their surname.
A less common Chinese family name (崇 pinyin Chóng) can also be transliterated to Soong in some Chinese dialects.
Prominent people
- Duke Xiang of Song, leader in Song (state) during Spring and Autumn Period
- Song Yu, Zhou Dynasty poet
- Consort Song, empress during Han Dynasty
- Empress Song (Ling), empress during Han Dynasty
- Song Xian, Three Kingdoms era military officer
- Song Qian, officer of Eastern Wu during Three Kingdoms era
- Song Bian, Northern Wei official
- Song Jingang, d. 620, Prince during Transition from Sui to Tang
- Song Zhiwen, b. 656, Tang Dynasty poet
- Song Jing, b. 663, Tang Dynasty chancellor
- List of Song Emperors
- Song Qi, b. 998, Northern Song writer and historian
- Song Minqiu, b. 1019, Northern Song historian
- Song Di, b. 1023-1032, Northern Song painter
- Song Ci, b. 1186, Song Dynasty scientist
- Song Zhun, Song Dynasty scholar
- Song Lian, b. 1310, Ming Dynasty historian
- Song Xu, b. 1525, Ming Dynasty painter
- Song Yingxing, b. 1587, Ming Dynasty scientist and encyclopedist
- Song Qing, b. 1820, Qing Dynasty military officer
- Song Jingshi, b. 1843, Qing Dynasty peasant uprising leader
- Charlie Soong, b. 1863, missionary and businessman
- T. V. Soong, b. 1894, businessman and Premier of the Republic of China
- Soong sisters
- Soong May-ling, b. 1897, wife of Chiang Kai-shek
- Soong Ching-ling, b. 1893, married Sun Yat Sen
- Soong Ai-ling, b. 1890, wife of H. H. Kung
- Song Weichen, b. 1866, merchant
- Sir Song Ong Siang, b. 1871, Singaporean lawyer and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Song Jiaoren, b. 1882, President of the Kuomintang
- Song Zheyuan, b. 1885, Kuomintang general
- Song Xilian, b. 1907, Kuomintang general
- Song Renqiong, b. 1909, general
- Song Ping, b. 1919, Communist Party official
- Song Xi, b. 1920, former President of the Chinese Culture University
- Song Qi, b. 1919, translator
- James Soong, b. 1942, Republic of China governor
- Song Defu, b. 1946, Communist Party politician
- Song Xiaobo, b. 1958, female basketball player and coach
- Song Lianyong, b. 1965, football player from Hong Kong
- Song Tao, b. 1965, basketball player
- Song Zuying, b. 1966, ethnic Miao Chinese singer
- Song Weiping, b. 1967, billionaire
- Song Zude, b. 1968, entertainment manager
- Devon Song, b. 1980, Taiwanese singer-songwriter
- Song Zhenyu, b. 1981, football player
- Sarah Song, b. 1985, Miss Chinese International 2007
- Brenda Song, b. 1988, American actress, singer, and model
Song Qian b. 1987, South Korean lead of the female group f (x)
Fictional characters
- Song Jiang (major character in Water Margin)
- Noonien Soong, The creator of the android Data in Star Trek
- Arik Soong, Great grandfather of Noonien Soong
- Song Yiren, character featured within the famed Ming Dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods
See also
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