Cheong

Cheong (張/張) is a common surname in Cantonese-speaking regions, often transliterated from the Mandarin Zhang. The character 張 means 'to stretch, to spread, to open' and is associated with the bowstring of a bow. As a given name, Cheong (昌 or 清 or 青) can have different meanings depending on the specific Chinese character used. 昌 (chāng) means 'prosperous, flourishing', 清 (qīng) means 'clear, pure, distinct', and 青 (qīng) means 'green, blue, black'. These characters are often used in combination with others to form two-character given names, or sometimes as a single-character given name.

The use of Cheong as a given name is more prevalent in Cantonese-speaking communities, particularly in Hong Kong, Macau, and among overseas Chinese populations. The choice of character often reflects the parents' hopes and aspirations for their child, such as wishing for a prosperous life (昌) or a pure character (清). The unisex nature comes from the fact that characters like 昌 and 清 can be used for both males and females, though certain combinations might lean more towards one gender.