Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 鄭: from Zheng (鄭) the name of a state (located in part of present-day Shaanxi and Henan provinces) granted to You the younger brother of King Xuan of Zhou (reigned 827–782 BC). The state of Zheng was annexed by the state of Han (located in present-day Shaanxi and Henan provinces) during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). Mandarin form of the surname 正 meaning ‘upright just’ in Chinese: from the first element of the personal name Zheng Kao Fu (正考父) an official in the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC) who was said to be an ancestor of Confucius.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022