Heng
A surname with several possible roots, including a German nickname from “stallion” and, in some cases, an Anglicized form of older names like Henk or Hengst.
The #8,611 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,845 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name may have several independent origins. In German contexts, it can be connected with Middle High German and modern German words for a stallion, especially through forms such as Hengst, used as a nickname or descriptive surname. In English records, shorter surnames like Heng can also sometimes reflect reduced or simplified forms of longer names beginning with Hen-, but the evidence here is not strong enough to assign one single source with confidence.
History
The historical excerpts do not provide a direct dictionary entry for Heng itself, but they do show related surname forms such as Hengst and other Hen-/Heng- names in German onomastic lists. In the United States, Heng is a relatively uncommon surname and may reflect immigration from German-speaking or other European naming traditions, with spelling simplification after migration. Because the form is short and could arise from more than one source, separate family lines may have different origins.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
German surname lists from the early 20th century regularly group Hengst with animal-based names, showing how often everyday words became family names.
From the historical record
“form than Plaister, q.v. PLASTO HEng.) Bel. to Plastow or Plai- PLASTOW / stow ( Surrey, Sussex, E^sex, Kent, etc) = the Playground, Athletic”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)