Meng (孟) Surname Meaning & Origin

Meng (孟) is a well-known Chinese surname. The character 孟 has its own dictionary meaning, but as a family name it mainly functions as an identifier rather than a literal description of the family.

A Chinese surname is both a practical identifier and a cultural marker that connects a person to family history. For the surname Meng (孟), it’s helpful to understand how Chinese surnames generally formed and why the same surname can show up with different spellings.

Across different periods, families moved for work, study, military service, and trade. These migrations spread surnames widely and also created regional pronunciation differences. Because romanization converts sound into Latin letters, the same surname can appear with multiple spellings in English.

Many surnames began as the names of ancient states, fiefs, places of origin, or titles held by ancestors. Others developed from clan names, occupations, or honorifics. Over time, migration, administrative records, and local dialects shaped how a surname was written and pronounced.

When in doubt, keep the Chinese character as the source of truth and treat different spellings as pronunciation-based variants.

In Mandarin pinyin, it is written Meng. A tone-marked form is Mèng.

Below are example full names combining the surname 孟 with common given-name characters (one-character given names shown for simplicity):
– 孟伟 (Meng Wěi) – great.
– 孟杰 (Meng Jié) – outstanding.
– 孟婷 (Meng Tíng) – graceful.
– 孟琪 (Meng Qí) – fine jade.
– 孟轩 (Meng Xuān) – lofty.
– 孟晨 (Meng Chén) – morning.

Different dialects and romanization systems can produce different spellings for the same surname. Keep the Chinese character (孟) handy to avoid confusion.