Cheng (surname)

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Cheng (pinyin: zhēng) is also a Chinese plucked string instrument.

Cheng can be a transcription of one of several Chinese surnames. Since the syllable Cheng represents different sounds in Hanyu pinyin and the Wade-Giles systems of Chinese romanization, some ambiguity will exist as to which sound is represented by the letters "Cheng" if the romanisation and tone is not known. Also within each system of romanisation, each syllable can represent one of several different characters, as with any Chinese syllable.

In the pinyin system of romanization (usually used in mainland China), the most common surname romanized as Cheng is 程 (pinyin Chéng) and 成.

In names romanized in Wade-Giles (usually those from Taiwan), Cheng is most commonly a transcription of 鄭/郑 (pinyin Zhèng).

Further confusion arises because Wade-Giles often appears without the required apostrophes (which indicates aspiration), and thus some Wade-Giles names which are properly romanized Ch'eng (such as 程 pinyin Chéng) will appear as Cheng.