Geng as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Geng

What is the meaning of the name Geng ?

The baby name Geng is a boy name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced [kəŋ˨˩˦].

Geng is Chinese in Origin.

Geng is the Mandarin pinyin spelling of Chinese 耿, read Gěng with third tone. The root language is Sinitic; reconstructed Old Chinese gives the form *kˤreŋʔ, with Middle Chinese kæŋX behind the modern reading. Its primary lexical sense is bright or shining, later extended to upright, candid, or mentally unsettled. The graph joins ear 耳 and fire 火, elements associated in traditional analysis with alertness and light.

As a family name, 耿 is linked to a Zhou-period place or small state called Geng, commonly placed in present-day Shanxi; its people preserved the place-name as a surname after Jin absorbed the territory. It is much more typical as a surname than as a given name, though Chinese single-character given names may use it. Romanizations include Keng in older systems and Gang in Cantonese. Modern bearers are found in mainland China, Taiwan, and Chinese diaspora communities.