Explore the Family Name Jiang

The meaning of Jiang

Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 江, meaning ‘river’ in Chinese: (i) from Jiang (江), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Zhengyang in Henan province) in the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) and Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). After it was annexed by the state of Chu in 623 BC, the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) from the name of Jiang Chugong (江處恭). In the earlier Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD), in Quanzhou in Fujian province, Weng Qiandu had six sons and gave different surnames to each of them. His second son, Weng Chugong, was given the surname Jiang. Thus, he was also called Jiang Chugong. He and his brothers all became celebrated officials, known as “the Six Laureates”. 2. Mandarin form of the surname 蔣: from Jiang (蔣), the name of an ancient state (probably located in present-day Henan province), which was granted to Bo Ling, a grandson of King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC). After this state was annexed by the state of Chu, people kept the name of the state as their surname. 3. Mandarin form of the surname 姜, meaning ‘ginger’ in Chinese: the surname is traced back to the legendary Yan Di, or the ‘Yan Emperor’. He was born near Jiang Shui (姜水, literally meaning ‘River Jiang’), a river in present-day Shaanxi province. He and his descendants acquired 姜 (Jiang), part of the placename, as their surname. A famous descendant, Jiang Shang, known as Jiang Ziya or Jiang Tai Gong (c.11th century bc), an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC), was granted the state of Qi, which is located mainly in present-day Shandong province. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Hong, Wei, Tao, Ying, Yong, Jing, Yang, Hua, Jian, Ming, Fan, Feng, Min, Tian, Chang, Chong, Hu, Neng. Southeast Asian Hao, Lan, Hai, Long, Quan, Du, Huan, Nien, Tan.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Jiang in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Jiang has seen a significant surge in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 3,791st most common, but by 2010, it had climbed to 1,849th, marking an impressive 51.23% increase. The count of individuals with this surname more than doubled during the same period, rising from 8,582 to 19,409, a jump of 126.16%. For every 100,000 people, there were approximately 3.18 Jiangs in 2000 compared to 6.58 in 2010, indicating a growth rate of 106.92%.

20002010Change
Rank#3,791#1,84951.23%
Count8,58219,409126.16%
Proportion per 100k3.186.58106.92%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jiang

The Decennial U.S. Census data also offers insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Jiang. The vast majority of those with this surname identify as Asian or Pacific Islander, with these numbers slightly increasing from 97.74% in 2000 to 97.88% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as two or more races decreased by 27.73%, and those who identify as White saw a small increase of 22.54%. The proportion of Hispanics decreased slightly by 9.52%, with Blacks and American Indian and Alaskan Natives each dropping to zero from marginal percentages in 2000.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander97.74%97.88%0.14%
White0.71%0.87%22.54%
Two or More Races1.19%0.86%-27.73%
Hispanic0.21%0.19%-9.52%
Black0.06%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.09%0%0%

Jiang ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Jiang is Chinese, which comprises 91.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (2.9%) and Manchurian & Mongolian (2.0%). Additional ancestries include Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, British & Irish, Japanese, and French & German.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Chinese91.6%
Korean2.9%
Manchurian & Mongolian2.0%
Other3.5%
Jiang

Possible origins of the surname Jiang

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Jiang have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Guangdong, China29.20%
Shandong, China29.10%
Jiangsu, China29.10%
Zhejiang, China29.10%
Shanghai, China28.90%

What Jiang haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Jiang is O-CTS2498, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-CTS2498 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F8 and N-L665, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Cheng, Zhou, Lu, Chen, Wu, Huang, Zhang, Tan, Wang, Yu.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Jiang surname are: A4, D4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

jiangPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese

Haplogroup O1a is a branch of O-M119, also called O1a. O-M119 and its branches are present in both northern and southern Han Chinese men at low to moderate frequencies, but are most common among the Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang southern Han groups. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north. Members of O-M119 belong to a group that has helped to shape the culture of the world's largest ethnic group.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Jiang have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Jiang

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Jiang" Surname 20.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Jiang

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Jiang" Surname 27.5%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Jiang

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Jiang" Surname 14.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Jiang

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Jiang" Surname 4.2%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Jiang?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Jiang are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

ε4 variant

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and personality changes. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, developing after age 65. Many factors, including genetics, can influence a person's chances of developing the condition. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the most common genetic variant associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease: the ε4 variant in the APOE gene. Learn more about Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Chinese 18.2%

23andMe Users 25.5%