1000 Most Common Last Names in Thailand

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from name of the region of Chen (in present-day Henan province). After overthrowing the Shang dynasty and becoming the first king of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc, Wu Wang searched for a descendant of the great ancient emperors to guard their memory and offer sacrifices, to help retain the ‘Mandate of Heaven’, which was considered essential to remain in power. He found Gui Man, a descendant of the model emperor Shun (2257–2205 bc), and granted him the region of Chen, along with the title Marquis of Chen and one of his daughters in marriage. Gui Man was posthumously named Chen Hugong, and his descendants came to adopt the surname Chen.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from a character meaning ‘prince’. There are numerous unrelated Wang clans, descendants of various princes of the Shang (1766–1122 bc) and Zhou (1122–221 bc) dynasties, including in particular descendants of the Shang dynasty prince Bi Gan and descendants of Bi Gonggao, 15th son of the virtuous duke Wen Wang, who was granted the state of Wei (a different state of Wei than that granted the eighth son; compare Sun). Chinese : from the name of a state or area called Wang. From ancient times through the Xia (2205–1766 bc) and Shang (1766–1122 bc) dynasties there existed a state of Wang. Later, during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), there also existed an area named Wang in the state of Lu. Some descendants of the ruling class of both areas took the place name Wang as their surname. Korean: there is one Chinese character for the surname Wang. Some sources indicate that there are fifteen Wang clans, but only two can be identified: the Kaesong Wang clan and the Chenam Wang clan. The Kaesong Wang clan, which originated in China, ruled the Korean peninsula for almost five hundred years as the ruling dynasty of the Koryo period (918–1392). There are some indications that the Kaesong Wang clan was present in the ancient Choson Kingdom (?194 bc). When the Chonju Yi clan seized power in 1392 and established the Choson kingdom, many of the members of the Kaesong Wang clan changed their names and went into hiding to avoid being persecuted by the new ruling dynasty. The Chenam Wang clan is also of Chinese origin. The Chenam Wang clan is much smaller than the Kaesong Wang clan. German and Dutch: from Middle German wang, Middle Dutch waenge, literally ‘cheek’, but also in southern German having the transferred sense ‘grassy slope’ or ‘field of grass’. It was thus either a topographic name for someone who lived by a meadow or a descriptive nickname for someone with noticeable cheeks (for example, round or rosy). Jewish (Ashkenazic): either a borrowing of the German name (see 4), or else a regional name for a Jew from Hungary (compare Russian Vengria ‘Hungary’). Scandinavian: variant spelling of Vang 1.

Chinese : from a character meaning ‘minister’. This was part of the title of Gao Yao, a great-grandson of the legendary emperor Zhuan Xu, who became famous as a minister under the model emperors Yao and Shun in the 23rd century bc; he was the first to introduce laws for the repression of crime. His descendants adopted this part of his title as their surname. The use of this name continued for over a millennium to the twelfth century bc, down to the rule of the last king of the Shang dynasty, the despotic Zhou Xin. Li Zhi, the head of the Li clan at that time, displeased Zhou Xin and was executed, leaving the rest of the clan facing imminent disaster. They fled, and nearly starved to death, surviving only by eating a fruit called mu zi. When the characters for mu and zi are combined, they form the character for plum, pronounced Li. In token of this salvation, the clan changed their name to the current character for li ‘plum’. Li is now the most common surname in China. Among the many famous bearers are Lee Kwan Yew, prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990; Lee Teng-hui, president of Taiwan from 1988; Li Peng, prime minister of China from 1988; and Bruce Lee (1941–73), movie actor. Chinese : from the name of a state of Li (in present-day Shanxi province), which existed during the Shang dynasty (1766–1122 bc). Descendants of the state’s rulers adopted the name of the state as their surname. Chinese : this character for Li is an altered form of 1 above. Norwegian: habitational name from any of numerous farmsteads named Li, from Old Norse hlíð ‘mountain slope’, ‘hillside’.

Chinese : the origin of this name goes back 4500 years to a grandson of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc), surnamed Hui. Hui invented bows and arrows, and was put in charge of their production. In honor of his deeds, he was given as surname the character pronounced Zhang, which is composed of the symbols for ‘bow’ and ‘long’, meaning to ‘stretch open a bow’. Zhang has now become one of the most common names in China. Chinese : from the name of an area called Zhang in present-day Shandong province. During the Western Zhou dynasty (1122–771 bc) a fief was made of this area. It was later conquered by the state of Qi; at that time the former rulers of conquered states were not allowed to take the name of their state as their surname. The former ruling class of Zhang fortunately were able to drop off a small portion of the character for Zhang and still leave another character also pronounced Zhang. This modified character became their surname.

Chinese : from the name of the state of Liu, which was granted to a descendant of the model emperor Yao (2357–2257 bc). Chinese : variant of Liao. Chinese : from the name of an area called Liu Xia in the state of Lu (in present-day Shanxi province). During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), this was granted to a counselor famous for his high moral character. His descendants adopted the name of this area as their surname.

English: topographic name for someone who lived near a meadow or a patch of arable land, Middle English lee, lea, from Old English lea, dative case (used after a preposition) of leah, which originally meant ‘wood’ or ‘glade’. English: habitational name from any of the many places named with Old English leah ‘wood’, ‘glade’, as for example Lee in Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hampshire, Kent, and Shropshire, and Lea in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, and Wiltshire. Irish: reduced Americanized form of Ó Laoidhigh ‘descendant of Laoidheach’, a personal name derived from laoidh ‘poem’, ‘song’ (originally a byname for a poet). Americanized spelling of Norwegian Li or Lie. Chinese : variant of Li 1. Chinese : variant of Li 2. Chinese : variant of Li 3. Korean: variant of Yi.

Chinese : from an ancient territory called Huang. Perhaps the most famous and revered of the ancient Chinese emperors is Huang Di (2697–2595 bc), considered father of the Chinese people. He is also known as ‘the Yellow Emperor’, since Huang also means ‘yellow’. Surprisingly, though, Huang Di is not credited with being a direct source of the surname. A descendant of his was granted the fief of the territory of Huang, which later served as the surname for certain descendants of the ruling family.

Korean: there are four Chinese characters used for the Yang surname, but only two are common enough to consider here; they have between them eight clans. The founding ancestor of the Ch’ongju Yang clan was Chinese and stayed in Korea after escorting Koryo, King Kongmin’s future queen to Korea. The first historical ancestor of the Cheju Yang clan was a Shilla figure named Yang T’ang, but according to legend, his distant ancestor was one of three men who ascended from a cave on the north side of Cheju Island’s Halla Mountain. These three men were the founders of the Yang, Pu, and Ko clans. The legendary founder of the Yang clan was named Yang Ul-la. Some days after their emergence, a box washed up on the shore of the island. In the box were three women, horses, cows, and agricultural seed. From these beginnings, the three established Cheju’s T’amnaguk kingdom and ruled peacefully for 900 years. Later, descendants of the three men settled throughout Korea, although 40 percent of the Yang clan still live on Cheju island and in Cholla province. Chinese : from the name of the state of Yang during the Zhou Dynasty. The first king of this dynasty, Wu Wang (1122–1116 bc), had a son named Tang Shuyu; a descendant of his was enfeoffed the state of Yang, and later descendants adopted the name of the state as their surname. Chinese : from a region called Yang that existed in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). Chinese : in the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), there existed in the state of Jin a senior adviser with the surname Yang-she. During the Warring States period (403–221 bc) his descendants fled to escape destruction by the conquering Qin, and simplified their surname to Yang. Laotian: unexplained.

Chinese : from the name of the ancient state of Wu in what is now Jiangsu province. In the 13th century bc, the state of Zhou was ruled by Tai Wang, who had three sons: Tai Bo, Zhong Yong, and Ji Li. The eldest sons, Tai Bo and Zhong Yong, believing that their father wished the youngest son, Ji Li, to inherit the reins of power, left the Zhou homeland with a group of followers and traveled southeastward to east-central China, where they established the state of Wu. Their descendants eventually adopted Wu as their surname. Ji Li stayed on to rule the Zhou and became the father of the famed virtuous duke Wu Wang, to whom those named Zhou (see Chow) trace their ancestry. Thus, the surnames Wu and Zhou are traced to the same ancestor, Tai Wang. Chinese : Cantonese variant of Hu. Chinese : from the name of Ji Wu, a son of Ping Wang (770–719 bc), the first king of the Eastern Zhou dynasty. His descendants adopted the given name Wu as their surname. Chinese : from the name of Wu Can, an official of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). At one time, the states of Chu and Jin were at war. The general of Chu viewed the strong position of the Jin and recommended retreat. However, a minor official, Wu Can, performed an analysis of the situation which concluded that an attack would be better. The prince of Chu agreed with Wu Can, which resulted in a victory over the Jin. Wu Can then became a senior official and used part of his given name, Wu, as his new surname. Chinese : from the name of Wu Peng, doctor of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc).

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Vietnamese (Nguy[ecirctilde]n): unexplained. This was the family name of a major Vietnamese royal dynasty.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from a word meaning ‘forest’. Bi Gan was a half-brother to Zhou Xin, the cruel and corrupt last king (1154–1123 bc) of the Shang dynasty. Bi Gan criticized his half-brother’s excesses, and for this he had his belly ripped open and his heart cut out. His wife fled to Chang Forest, where she gave birth to a son. When Zhou Xin was toppled by the new Zhou dynasty, the new Zhou ruler granted the son some land together with the name Lin. Chinese : variant of Lian 1. Scottish and English: perhaps a variant of Lynn. Dutch: probably a variant of Lyn.

Italian: patronymic from the Jewish personal name Asael.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of the ancient state of Xu. The model emperor Yu (2205–2198 bc) granted this state to one of his retainers. The retainer’s family governed the state from this time on until the Western Zhou dynasty (1122–771 bc), when the Xu prince of the time believed it to be God’s will that he should oppose the Zhou dynasty, on account of a prophecy associated with a red bow and arrow that he pulled out of a river. The Zhou king, Mu Wang, was far away to the west in the Kunlun mountains, but raced back to confront and defeat the Xu prince (see Chao 1). Mu Wang then granted the state of Xu to the defeated prince’s son, giving him the ‘style name’ of Xu. Descendants of this new ruler eventually adopted Xu as their surname. Chinese : this name goes back as far as the 23rd century bc. According to tradition, there existed a philosopher named Xu You, who was offered succession to the throne by the model emperor Yao. Having heard this proposal, Xu You washed his ears in a river to rid them of such defilement. The main stock of this name probably came later, however, when Wu Wang, the first king (1122–1116 bc) of the Zhou dynasty, granted the area of Xu in present-day Henan province to Wen Shu, a descendant of Bo Yi, adviser to the model emperor Shun (who coincidentally accepted the offer of power which Xu You had declined). The descendants of Wen Shu eventually adopted the name of the area of Xu as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

English: variant of Lum. Dutch: perhaps from a short form of a Germanic personal name, Lieman or Liemaar. Korean: variant of Im. Chinese : Fujian variant of Lin 1. Filipino: unexplained.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : one of the oldest Chinese surnames, already being the name of the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc), when many current Chinese surnames first came into use. According to legend, Jiang Yuan, a concubine of the legendary emperor Ku in the 25th century bc, accidentally stepped in the imprint of a god’s big toe, which impregnated her. Not wanting such a child, she abandoned the newborn baby, Hou Ji, in the wilderness. The infant was protected from the elements by the wings of eagles and was suckled on the milk of cows and sheep. He learned how to grow grain, and became the minister of agriculture under the legendary emperor Yao. His clan eventually settled in a city named Zhouyuan, in present-day Shaanxi province in western China. Under the influence of the name of the city, they came to be known as the Zhou, even though their surname was originally Ji. This situation lasted for over a millennium until a descendant, the famed virtuous Duke Wu Wang, changed his surname to Zhou, and his son established the Zhou dynasty. Zhou Enlai, premier of China from 1949 to 1976, belonged to this clan.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Korean: there are four Chinese characters for the surname Yu. Some sources indicate the existence of as many as 230 clans, but only about twenty can be positively documented. Several of the clans are of Chinese origin. The largest Yu clan, the Munhwa Yu, was founded by a man named Ch’a Tal. Ch’a’s fifth great-grandfather had been involved in an attempt to overthrow the Shilla king. To avoid prosecution, the ancestor fled to Munhwa and changed his surname, first to that of his maternal grandmother, Yang, and then to Yu. Many years later, Ch’a Tal assisted Wang Kon to establish the Koryo Kingdom. Ch’a was recognized for his support and was rewarded accordingly. Ch’a’s eldest son began again to use the Ch’a surname, but his younger son continued to use Yu. The Munhwa Yu clan, along with the Andong Kwon clan, possesses one of the oldest extant clan genealogies in Korea. Chinese : in the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) there lived in the state of Qin a high counselor called You Yu, whose descendants took part of their forebear’s ‘style name’, Yu, as their surname. Chinese : from the name of a territory granted by Wu Wang, the first king (1122–1116 bc) of the Zhou dynasty, to his second son. Some of his descendants adopted a simplified version of the character for Yu as their surname. Chinese : during the time of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc), there lived an extraordinary doctor who could cure all manner of diseases. Because of his great abilities, he was called Yu, which meant ‘to heal’. His descendants adopted a modified form of this character as their surname. Chinese : from the name of either of two ancient states called Yu, one located in present-day Henan province and the other in Shanxi province.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of the city of Zhao, in present-day Shanxi province in north-central China. Mu Wang, king of the Zhou dynasty (1001–947 bc), was noted for his campaigns and journeys to distant lands and for his expansion of the Chinese empire. According to legend, he once traveled to the Kunlun mountains, then west of China, to see the Queen Mother of the West. After arriving, he learned of military attacks at home, so his chariot driver, Zao Fu, obtained eight marvelous steeds which took them back at a rate of a thousand li (500 miles) a day, so that they were able to defend the capital. In recognition of his service, Mu Wang granted to the charioteer Zao Fu the city of Zhao, and his descendants subsequently adopted Zhao as their surname.

Chinese : from the name of the state of Zhu in present-day Shandong province. Wu Wang, the first king (1122–1116 bc) of the Zhou dynasty, granted to Cao Xie, a descendant of the emperor Zhuan Xu of the 26th century bc, lordship of the state of Zhu (see also Cao). Later, this state was conquered by the state of Chu, after which many descendants of the Zhu aristocracy took a modified form of the character Zhu for their surname; the pronunciation is the same. The name has become very common in southern China. Chinese : following the establishment of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc, Wu Wang granted lordship of the area of Zhu to a descendant of the legendary emperor Huang Di. His descendants eventually adopted the place name Zhu as their surname. Additionally, in ancient China the titles of several important governmental positions contained the character for Zhu. Descendants of some of these officials adopted Zhu as their surname. Chinese : there are two accounts of the origin of this name, both from the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). One account derives the name from an area named Zhu in the state of Lu. Another account derives it from a senior minister of the state of Yue named Zhu Zhiying. Chinese : this was part of the ancient word Tianzhu ‘India’. When Buddhist monks came to China from India, they often used Zhu as part of their name, and it gradually came to be used as a surname.

Korean: there is one Chinese character for the surname Kim. Kim is the most common Korean surname, comprising about 20 percent of the Korean population. According to some sources, there are over 600 different Kim clans, but only about 100 have been documented. Kims can be found in virtually every part of Korea. The two largest Kim clans, the Kim family of Kimhae and the Kim family of Kyongju, are descended from semi-mythological characters who lived two thousand years ago. According to legend, the Kimhae Kim family founder, Kim Suro, came in answer to a prayer offered by the nine elders of the ancient Karak Kingdom. In 42 ad, these elders met together to pray for a king. In answer to their prayer, they were sent a golden box containing six golden eggs. From the first egg emerged King Su-ro, Karak’s first king. The other five eggs became the five kings of Karak’s neighboring kingdom, Kaya. The founder of the Kim family of Kyongju, Kim Al-ji, had similar origins. In 65 ad the king of Shilla, T’alhae, heard a strange sound from a forest near the Shilla capital, Kyongju. On investigation he found a crowing white rooster standing next to a golden egg. From this egg emerged Al-ji, founder of the Kyongju Kim family and subsequent king of the Shilla Kingdom. Because Al-ji emerged from a golden egg, King T’alhae bestowed upon the child the surname Kim, which means ‘gold’. It is estimated that about half of the one hundred or so Kim clans of modern Korea are descended from the Kyongju Kim clan. Swiss German: unexplained.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of the ancient state of Lu, in present-day Henan province. This is one of the oldest Chinese surnames, going back well over 4000 years to an adviser of the founding emperor of the Xia dynasty, Yu (2205–2198 bc). The adviser was enfeoffed with the state of Lu, and the family held it throughout the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou dynasties, eventually adopting the name of the state, Lu, as their surname. Chinese : from area called Lu, in present-day Shandong province. During the Warring States period (403–221 bc), a descendant of previous dukes of the state of Qi became the high counselor of that state, and was granted the area of Lu. His descendants later adopted the place name Lu as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the city of Lu in the state of Qi. During the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). The youngest son of a duke of Qi was granted the city of Lu, and his descendants adopted the place name Lu as their surname. Chinese : from the name of a different state of Lu, a large area covering parts of present-day Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shandong provinces. This was granted to Zhou Gong, Duke of Zhou, a famous figure in Chinese history, as he was revered by Confucius as the prototypical good adviser. The fourth son of Wen Wang, Zhou Gong was the younger brother and chief adviser of Wu Wang, the founder of the Zhou dynasty. After Wu Wang died in 1116 bc, his 13-year old son succeeded him, but actual power was held by Zhou Gong, acting as regent. Zhou Gong’s descendants later adopted the name of the state as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the Lushui river. The characters for the river name contained a written component meaning ‘water’; this component was dropped, leaving only the current character for Lu, which means ‘street’. Chinese : from the name of an area known as Wulu ‘Five Deer’, which was granted to a senior adviser of the state of Wei. His descendants adopted Lu as their surname.

Chinese : from an honorific title borne by a prince of the state of Zhao during the Warring States period (403–221 bc). He was awarded the title Noble Ma Fu after repeatedly distinguishing himself as a general, and subsequently, his descendants adopted part of the honorific title, Ma, as their surname. Korean: there are two Chinese characters for the surname Ma, only one of which is frequent enough to be treated here. Two clans use this character: the Mokch’on clan and the Changhung clan. The founding ancestor of the Korean Mokch’on Ma clan migrated to Korea from China during the Han Commanderies period (1st century bc). The Ma clans played fairly important roles in the formation of the pre-Shilla Paekche kingdom. The records are not consistent, but it seems that originally the Ma surname was Yong and that either the Koryo king T’aejo (941–943) or the Shilla king Kyongsun (927–935) changed the name to Ma. Cambodian: unexplained. Hawaiian: unexplained. Tongan: unexplained.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from Hu, a name bestowed posthumously on Gui Man, Duke of Chen. After conquering the Shang dynasty and becoming the first king of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc, Wu Wang searched for a descendant of the great ancient emperors to guard their memory and offer sacrifices, to help retain the mandate of heaven which was considered essential to remain in power. He found Gui Man, a descendant of the model emperor Shun (2257–2205 bc), and granted him the region of Chen (in present-day Henan province), along with one of his daughters in marriage and the title Marquis of Chen. Gui Man was posthumously named Hu, Duke of Chen, and some of his descendants adopted this name as their surname. Chinese : from part of the name of the state of Youhu, which existed during the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc). Its residents subsequently adopted the second character of the name, Hu, as their surname. French: nickname from Old French hu ‘outcry’, ‘noise’ (the same word as gave rise to the English phrase ‘hue and cry’, which referred to a clamour raised when in pursuit of a criminal); compare Huard 2. Mexican (Maya): nickname meaning ‘iguana’.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of Hui Sun, a high official of the state of Wei, which existed during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc), located in present-day Shanxi province in north-central China. Wen Wang, the virtuous duke whose magnanimous rule led to the establishment of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc, had an eighth son named Kang Shu, who was enfeoffed the state of Wei. The ruling line continued through Wu Gong, whose son Hui Sun became a high official of Wei; his descendants adopted the given name Sun as their surname. Sun Tzu was author of The Art of War, written during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 bc) and still much quoted today. Sun Yat-Sen (1866–1925) was the revolutionary leader instrumental in the overthrow of the Chinese dynastic system early in the twentieth century. Korean: variant of Son.

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Chinese : from a southern pronunciation of the name of the state of Han (in present-day Shaanxi province), which existed during the early stages of the Western Zhou dynasty (1122–771 bc). This was the fief of a younger brother of Cheng Wang, second king of the Zhou dynasty (see Han). When the state of Han was later annexed by the state of Jin, the members of the royal family scattered. Those descendants who settled further south, in the area of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, found that the character for Han was pronounced He in this area, and so changed their name to a character more widely pronounced He. Chinese : during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 ad), members of the Qing clan needed to change their surname, as Qing was the name of the emperor’s father and so they were not permitted to use this name. They decided on he, which like qing means ‘celebrate’. In modern Chinese these two characters have been compounded into one word, qinghe, which also means ‘celebrate’. Chinese : from a word meaning ‘and’ in modern Chinese, which was part of the title Xihe ‘astrologer’. Members of the He clan held this hereditary position and adopted their surname from the title.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Origin unidentified.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of an area known as the Jiang Hills, which in ancient times was granted to a descendant of the legendary emperor Zhuang Xu. Later, during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), when the Jiang Hills administration was defeated by the state of Chu, the defeated ruling class took Jiang as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the state of Jiang, in present-day Henan province. The Duke of Zhou was the younger brother and chief adviser of Wu Wang, who established the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc; his third son, Bo Ling, was granted lordship of the state of Jiang. Bo Ling’s descendants eventually adopted Jiang as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the Jiang Creek, a tributary of the Wei river in Shaanxi province. This surname goes back 4700 years to Shen Nong, a legendary emperor (2734–2697 bc). Shen Nong was raised beside Jiang Creek, and adopted Jiang as one of his names.

Chinese: variant of Wang. Chinese: variant of Huang.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

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Chinese : from an area in Shanxi province named Guo (written with a different character, pronounced the same). A younger brother of the famed virtuous duke Wen Wang (12th century bc) was enfeoffed this area and given the name Guo Shu. The Chinese character for the area was pronounced in the same way as a different character, the source of the present-day surname Guo, and people began to refer to Guo Shu with this homophonic character. Chinese : from a character that also means ‘kingdom’ or ‘state’. Descendants of the founder of the state of Qi during the Warring States period (403–221bc) adopted this character as their surname. Chinese : from the name of a state of Guo that existed during the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc). Following defeat of this state, residents of the area adopted its name as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of a state of Zheng. Xuan Wang, penultimate king (827–781 bc) of the Western Zhou Dynasty, granted the fief of Zheng to his younger brother, along with the title Duke Xuan of Zheng. In the time of Duke Xuan’s son, Duke Gong, the capital of the Zhou dynasty was destroyed and the king was killed, bringing to an end the Western Zhou dynasty. The new Zhou king moved the capital eastward, beginning the Eastern Zhou dynasty. Duke Gong of Zheng moved eastward as well, to an area in present-day Henan province in central China, establishing a new state of Zheng. His descendants later adopted Zheng as their surname.

Chinese : from the name of Liang Mountain in present-day Shaanxi province. During the reign of the Zhou dynasty emperor Xuan Wang (827–782 bc), Qin Zhong set out on an expedition to subdue the peoples to the west in Central Asia. Qin Zhong was killed, however, which caused his five sons to develop a bitter hatred of those tribes, and so they set out to avenge their father, eventually succeeding and defeating the peoples of the west. The emperor divided the area of Shang among them, and the second son received the area around Liang Mountain, from which his descendants developed the surname Liang. Subsequently, Liang was the name of two Chinese dynasties, the Earlier Liang Dynasty (502–557) and the Later Liang Dynasty (907–923).

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

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Chinese : variant of Zhang 1. Chinese : The emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc) had two advisers whose names contained this character; descendants of both of them are believed to have adopted Chang as their surname. Additionally, in the state of Wei during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc) there existed a fief named Chang, the name of which was adopted by descendants of its ruling class. The Chinese character also has the meanings ‘often’ and ‘ordinary’. Chinese : variant of Zhang 2. Chinese : a rare name whose Chinese character also means ‘prosperous, flourishing’. This name is said to have originated 4500 years ago with Chang Yi, son of the legendary emperor Huang Di and father of emperor Zhuan Xu. Korean: there are 33 Chang clans in Korea, all but three of which use the same Chinese character for their surname. All of the Korean Chang clans had their origins in China, and, apart from the T{ou}ksu Chang clan and the Ch{ou}lgang Chang clan, they all originated from a single founding ancestor, Chang Ch{ou}n-p’il. He was born in China in 888 ad and fled to Korea with his father during a tumultuous period of Chinese history. The T{ou}ksu Chang clan’s founding ancestor, Chang Sul-long, stayed in Korea, having escorted Kory{ou} King Ch’ungy{ou}l’s queen-to-be from China to Korea in 1275. Most of the founding ancestors of the other Chang clans arrived in Korea from Y{uu}an China during the Kory{ou} period (ad 918–1392) or during the early Chos{ou}n period.

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Chinese : from the name of the state of Luo during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). This was granted to a descendant of Zhu Rong, a son of Zhuan Xu, legendary emperor of the 26th century bc. Subsequently, his descendants adopted the state name as their surname. Chinese : from the personal name of Jiang Luo, a son of the grand duke of the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). His descendants adopted his given name, Luo, as their surname. This character also means ‘camel’.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

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Chinese : variant of Zheng. Chinese : from the name of the area of Cheng during the Shang dynasty (1766–1122 bc). A high adviser who was a descendant of the legendary emperor Zhuan Xu was granted the fiefdom of this area, and his descendants adopted its name as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the state of Cheng during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). The fifth son of Wen Wang was granted lordship of the state of Cheng following the fall of the Shang dynasty and the establishment of the Zhou dynasty. Subsequently, his descendants adopted the place name as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : variant of Wu 1. Chinese : variant of Wu 4.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from an area called Xie, in present-day Henan province. Xuan Wang, the penultimate king (827–781 bc) of the Western Zhou dynasty, granted this area to one of his brothers-in-law, and the latter’s descendants adopted the place name Xie as their surname. Chinese : from the name of Xie City, which existed in present-day Henan province during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc).

Vietnamese: unexplained. Scottish: nickname from Old Norse trani ‘crane’.

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Chinese : Cantonese variant of Chen. Chinese : variant transcription of Zhan. Vietnamese (Chân): unexplained. Galician and Portuguese: topographic name from a field named Chan (Galician) or Chã (Portuguese), from Latin plana ‘level’, ‘flat’.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of a state of Han, which existed during the early part of the Western Zhou dynasty (1122–771 bc), in present-day Shaanxi province. This was the fief of a younger brother of Cheng Wang, second king of the Zhou dynasty. The state of Han was later annexed by the state of Jin, but the area was enfeoffed by the Jin ruler to Wu Zi, a descendant of Wen Wang. Wu Zi’s descendants eventually adopted the name of the fief as their surname. Korean: there are two Chinese characters for the surname Han. However, one of these characters, meaning ‘China’, is extremely rare (only two households with this surname appeared in a recent census), so only the other will be considered here. Some records indicate that there are 131 clans of the Han family, but only one—the Han family of Ch’ongju, can be documented. Some sources name Han Ran as the founding ancestor of the Han family. Han Ran is recognized as one of the men who assisted the first Koryo king, Wang Kon, in setting up the Koryo kingdom in 918. More recent scholarship, however, postulates that the Ch’ongju Han clan’s founding ancestor was U-P’yong, one of three sons of the fortieth generation descendant of Kija, the founder of the ancient Choson kingdom (died 194 bc). The other two sons, U-song and U-Kyong, founded the Ki clan and the Songan clans, respectively. French: of uncertain origin. In some cases at least it is from a Breton word meaning ‘summer’ or a topographic name from a place named with Gaulish hafod ‘summer residence’. Dutch and Czech (Hán): from a reduced form of the personal name Johann(es) (see John). Jewish: variant of Hahn.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Korean: there are two Chinese characters for this surname, covering sixteen clans. The smaller clan is the only clan to use one of the two Chinese characters, and it has only one or two households. The remaining clans all descend from a common ancestor, Song Chu-un, who seems to have migrated from Tang China to Korea sometime during the Shilla period. Sixty percent of the Songs live in southern Korea. Korean (Song): there are two Chinese characters for the surname Song, but one of them is registered for just a single household. Only the common Song clan, the Ch’angnyong clan, is treated here. This was founded by Song In-bo just prior to the establishment of the Koryo kingdom in 918. According to legend, Song In-bo died in Seoul. His son set out to transport his father’s body back to Ch’angnyong, but, the weather being poor, he decided to stop for the night and finish the journey in the morning. When he awoke, he discovered that his father’s body was missing. Upon investigation, he found that a tiger had dragged the body to a secluded grave site in the mountains near Ch’angnyong. It was there that the son buried his father and established his home. Many of the members of the Song clan today live in the Ch’angnyong area of Kyongsang province. Chinese : from a place name, the state of Song. After the Zhou overthrew the corrupt king of the Shang dynasty, Zhou Xin, in 1122 bc, the new Zhou dynasty granted the state of Song to the overthrown king’s half-brother, Wei Ziqi. His descendants eventually adopted the place name Song as their surname. This name was that of the Song dynasty, (960–1279), and in more recent times was borne by the powerful Soong siblings: T.V. Soong, once one of the richest men in the world; Soong Ch’ing-ling, wife of Sun Yat-Sen; and Soong Mei-ling, wife of Chiang Kai-shek.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Southeast Asian: unexplained.

Chinese : from the name of a state that existed during the Xia (2205–1766 bc) and Shang (1766–1122 bc) dynasties. At a much later date, descendants of the state’s rulers took the state name Deng as their surname. This was the family name of Deng Xiaoping (1904–97), effectively ruler of China from 1977 to his death twenty years later.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the place name Su. A descendant of the emperor Zhuan Xu, who lived in the 26th century bc, was granted a fiefdom called Su, and his descendants eventually adopted the place name as their surname. Chinese : from part of an official title, Zhisu Duwei, of the Western Han dynasty (206 bc–24 ad). This title was borne by the official in charge of granaries, an important role as granaries could be strategic military targets. A descendant of one such official adopted the character Su from the title as his surname. Chinese : from the name of an ancient kingdom called Su, which existed during the reign of the first of the three legendary emperors, Fu Xi (2852–2734 bc). Vietnamese: unexplained.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the place name Pan, which existed in the state of Wei during the Zhou dynasty. Bi Gonggao, fifteenth son of the virtuous duke Wen Wang, was granted a state named Wei when the Zhou dynasty came to power in 1122 bc (see Feng 1). Bi Gonggao in turn granted the area called Pan to one of his sons, whose descendants eventually adopted Pan as their surname. This name is also Romanized as Poon, Pun, and Pon. Korean: There are two Chinese characters for this surname; only one of them, however, is common enough to warrant treatment here. There are three clans which use this character: the Kisong (also called the Koje), the Kwangju, and the Namp’yong. The founding ancestors of these clans were Koryo (918–1392) figures, and it is widely believed that they were related. Spanish and southern French (Occitan): metonymic occupational name for a baker or a pantryman, from Spanish and Occitan pan ‘bread’ (Latin panis). English and Dutch: metonymic occupational name for someone who cast pans, from Middle English, Middle Dutch panne ‘pan’. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from Polish, Ukrainian, Yiddish pan ‘lord’, ‘master’, ‘landowner’, hence a nickname for a haughty person. Perhaps also an Americanized spelling or translation of German Pfann (North German Pann).

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : of uncertain origin, originating in Shaanxi province. It may be a variant of another name from the same region and pronounced the same way (see 4 below, ). Chinese : the origin of this name is closely tied up with that of Zhuang. During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), many members of the ruling class of the state of Chu adopted as their surname Zhuang, the posthumously given name of a king of Chu. The name Zhuang was kept until the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220), when, to avoid a taboo on having the same name as the ruler (then Liu Zhuang), many people changed their surname from Zhuang to Yan. Chinese : from the ‘style name’ Yan. Yi Fu, a descendant of the grantee of the fief of Zhu (see Zhu 1) during the Zhou dynasty had the ‘style name’ Yan. Descendants adopted his style name as their surname. Chinese : there are two accounts of the origin of this name: one a place named Yan Village and the other Yan Town. Both places existed during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Chinese : variant of Zhen. Chinese : from the name of a person called Yan An from the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). Chinese : variant of Yin 1. Chinese : from the name of a state of Yan that existed during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Americanized spelling of Jan.

Chinese :from the name of the fief of Peng, which was granted to a great-grandson of the legendary emperor Zhuan Xu, who then became known as Peng Zu. According to tradition, Peng Zu lived for over 800 years, and so came to be a symbol of long life. His descendants adopted Peng as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of the area of Gao in the state of Qi during the Western Zhou dynasty (1122–771 bc). A son of the royal family of Qi was granted the area of Gao, and subsequently his descendants adopted Gao as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Vietnamese (Lê): a royal or aristocratic name, the family name of the Lê Dynasty.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of a state called Lai (in present-day Henan province), which existed during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). Descendants of the ruling class of this state adopted its name as their surname. Chinese : Cantonese variant of Li 2. Vietnamese: unexplained. Polish: dialect variant of the personal name Lew ‘lion’ (see Lew 2).

Chinese : from the name of the city of Feng in the state of Wei during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). The fifteenth son of the virtuous duke Wen Wang, Bi Gonggao, was granted the state of Wei soon after the founding of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc. A descendant of Bi Gonggao, Bi Wan, was granted Feng city, and his descendants took the city name as their surname. Chinese : from the name of a territory in what is now Henan province. A descendant of the second legendary emperor, Shen Nong (2734–2697 bc), was a tutor of the third legendary emperor, Huang Di (2697–2595 bc). In honor of this service he was granted an area called Feng, and his descendants adopted the place name as their surname. Chinese : from the name of a personage who lived during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). At this time, Duke Mu of the state of Zheng had a son whose name contained this character for Feng, and his descendants adopted it as their surname. Chinese : from the name of an area called Feng (location unknown). The seventeenth son of the virtuous duke Wen Wang, who lived in the twelfth century bc, was granted an area called Feng, along with the title Marquis of Feng. His descendants adopted the name of the place as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : there are two main branches of the Cao line. One branch comes from Cao An, a great-grandson of the emperor Zhuan Xu (26th century bc). A descendant named Cao Xie was granted the state of Zhu when the Zhou dynasty came to power in 1122 bc. When Zhu was conquered by the state of Chu, many of the Zhu aristocracy adopted a modified form of the character Zhu as their surname (see Chu), but others kept the name Cao. The origin of the other branch also involves the granting of a state at the beginning of the Zhou dynasty: in 1122 bc Zhen Duo, a son of Wen Wang, was granted the state of Cao, a name subsequently adopted by his descendants. Other Romanized forms of this name include Tso, Cho, Tsao and Chou. Vietnamese: unexplained. Portuguese (Cão) and Galician equivalent of Spanish Cano.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of the former state of Cai, in present-day Henan province. When the Zhou dynasty displaced the Shang dynasty in 1122 bc, the defeated Shang were allowed to rule in the area of their old capital of Yin, under the stewardship of Zhou appointees. However, these Zhou appointees, among them Cai Shu, the 14th son of Wen Wang and younger brother of the new king, joined forces with the Shang in revolt. After the rebellion was suppressed, Cai Shu was banished, but his son was granted the state of Cai along with the title Earl of Cai. His descendants later adopted the place name Cai as their surname. Other spellings of this name, due to dialect differences and variation in Romanization, include Tsai, Choi, Choy, and Tsoi.

Chinese : from the name of the area of Wei in present-day Shanxi province. During the Warring States period (403–221 bc), Hua Wan of the state of Jin repeatedly distinguished himself in battle, and as a reward was granted this area. His descendants subsequently adopted the place name Wei as their surname. Chinese : from the name of an area called Shiwei. A grandson of Peng Zu, who according to tradition lived for over 800 years and came to be a symbol of long life, was granted an area named Shiwei. His descendants adopted the second character of this name, Wei, as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the state of Wei. When the Zhou dynasty was established in 1122 bc, the new ruler Wu Wang left the conquered Shang people their capital, to rule themselves under the supervision of various Zhou appointees. The Shang convinced their overseers to revolt with them, but were soon put down by the Zhou. This time, Wu Wang put his younger brother Kang Shu, the eighth son of Wen Wang, in control of the area, naming it the state of Wei. Many descendants of Kang Shu later adopted Wei as their surname, although others adopted the name Kang (see Kang 1).

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

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Chinese : from a simplified form of the name of the state of Kuai. During the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc) this state was granted to the youngest son of King Shaokang. After being overthrown by another state, the prince fled and adopted a simplified form of the character Kuai as his surname.

Chinese : from the name of the area of Ye, in present-day Henan province. During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), a senior military adviser of the state of Chu was killed in battle; his son was granted the area of Ye, with the title Duke of Ye. The Duke of Ye was successful in battle, and his descendants adopted the place name Ye as their surname. Korean: variant of Yi.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

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Chinese : from the name of a place called Fan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty. The Western Zhou dynasty’s penultimate king, Xuan Wang (827–781 bc), executed a direct descendant of the model emperor Yao. The latter’s son fled to the state of Jin, where he became a distinguished general and was granted the area called Fan. His descendants adopted the place name as their surname. Chinese : from a different place of the same period, also written in English as Fan. Zhong Shanfu, a senior adviser to Xuan Wang (827–781 BC), the penultimate king of the Western Zhou dynasty, is considered to have been a major factor in the exceptional success of this king during a period of generally declining authority for the Zhou kings. He was successful in conquering and pacifying tribes to the north, south, and west, and for this service he was granted the area of Fan. His descendants took the place name Fan as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of a territory that existed during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Chinese : from the name of a fiefdom called Xiao (in present-day Anhui province) that existed during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). A descendant of the ruler of the state of Song was granted this fiefdom and subsequently his descendants adopted the place name as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

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The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from a person named Liao Shu’an in ancient China, about whom nothing more is known.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the honorary surname, Jin Tianshi of Shao Hao, a son of the legendary emperor Huang Di of the 26th century bc. The character for jin also means ‘gold’ or ‘metal’. Some later descendants of Shao Hao adopted Jin as their surname. Chinese : from the name of Jin Shang, a chief official in the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Some of his descendants adopted this surname. Chinese : from the name of the Jin river. Wu Wang, the first king of the Zhou dynasty (1122–16 bc), granted the state of Tang to his third son. Since the Jin river flowed through it, the name of the state was later changed to Jin. Descendants of the third son adopted the new name of the state name as their surname. Korean: variant of Chin 4. Japanese: ‘ranks’ or ‘battle array’. The name is not common in Japan.

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Wandi is a surname of the Bemba tribe, meaning: mine - Belongs to me.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of an ancient place (Yao Ruins), in present-day Henan province. According to legend, the model emperor Shun (2257–2205 bc) was conceived and born here, after his mother was so greatly moved by the beauty of a rainbow that she became pregnant. Some of Shun’s descendants later adopted the place name Yao as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Korean (Ho): there is only one Chinese character for the Ho surname. Some records indicate that there are fifty-nine Ho clans, but only four have been identified and documented. All four clans descend from the same founding ancestor. In ad 48, a sixteen-year-old Indian princess is said to have arrived by boat on the shores of Korea. The Karak Kingdom’s King Suro married the woman, and out of respect for her origins allowed the second of their ten children to retain his mother’s surname, Ho. The Ho surname is very common and is widely distributed throughout the Korean peninsula. Vietnamese (Hô`): unexplained. Chinese: variant of He.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Indian (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka): Hindu and Parsi name which goes back to an official title meaning ‘village headman’, p??tel in Gujarati, Marathi, and Kannada (where it is pa?tela). It comes ultimately from Sanskrit pa?t?takila ‘tenant of royal land’. Among the Indians in the U.S, it is the most common family name.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the secondary name, or ‘style name’, of a certain prince Bo Yuan, who lived during the Warring States period (722–481 bc). A grandson of his adopted the Yuan portion of this as his surname. Chinese : origin unknown. Chinese : origin unknown. Chinese : the earliest record of this name is of an adviser called Yuan Xi in the 12th century bc, during the later stage of the Shang dynasty. Another source of the name is an adviser who lived in the state of Wei during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), who was granted an area named Yuan; his descendants adopted the place name Yuan as their surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : according to ancient texts, this name originated in the time of the Shang dynasty king Wu Ding (1324–1266 bc). Wu Ding dreamed about a man looking like a prisoner, and was told by a god that this was the wise man that he had been seeking. Wu Ding immediately commissioned a portrait of the mysterious man and searched everywhere for him. Finally, a man who looked exactly like the man in the dream was found performing hard labor building walls in Fu Cliffs (in present-day Shanxi province, by the Great Wall). Wu Ding rescued the man, whose name was Yue, and gave him the name Fu Yue. Fu Yue was made prime minister and, as expected, went on to become a great administrator. His descendants adopted Fu as their surname. Chinese : from a character meaning ‘symbol’, ‘tally’, or ‘magic figure’. This was one of the characters in a title meaning ‘keeper of the royal seals’. During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), a grandson of a duke of the state of Lu held a post as the keeper of royal seals. His descendants adopted a character from the job title as their surname. Chinese : name borne by descendants of Fu Chen, a senior minister during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc), and of Fu Fu, a member of the royal family of the state of Lu dring the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc).

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Chinese : from the place name Zhongli. During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), some members of the state of Song adopted Zhongli as their surname, as they considered it to be the place which their ancestors came from. Some descendants later shortened the name to Zhong, while others kept Zhongli. Chinese : the origin of this name has been attributed to three different people. One is Zhong Kan, a scholar under the legendary emperor Ku, who lived 4500 years ago. Another is Zhong Sun, who lived in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). A third is Zhong Ji, who lived during the Song dynasty (960–1279 ad).

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The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Vietnamese (Ph?am): unexplained.

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English (mostly East Anglia): unexplained. Vietnamese (Ông): unexplained. Chinese : variant of Wang 1. Indonesian: unexplained. Filipino: unexplained.

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Chinese : from a character that also means ‘to supervise’ or ‘to manage’. The story goes that in the 23rd century bc, an adviser to the emperor Shun was given this surname due to his ability to supervise and train dragons. Additionally, at one time during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), Dong was part of the title of official historians. The descendants of a historian of the state of Jin adopted the character for Dong from their ancestor’s title and used it as a surname. Vietnamese ({D-}ông and {D-}ô`ng): unexplained.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

English and Scottish: from Middle English, Old French parc ‘park’; a metonymic occupational name for someone employed in a park or a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a park. In the Middle Ages a park was a large enclosed area where the landowner could hunt game. English and Scottish: from a medieval pet form of the personal name Peter. Compare Parkin. Swedish: ornamental name from park ‘park’. Korean: variant of Pak.

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Chinese : from the name of Ji Fang Shu, a senior adviser to the penultimate king of the Western Zhou dynasty, Xuan Wang (827–781 bc). He is known for the expeditions he undertook to calm southern tribes. His descendants adopted part of his name, Fang, as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the ancient state of Fang (in present-day Henan province). The model emperor Yao (2357–2257 bc) was admired by Confucius for his virtuous leadership and his selection of his successor, Shun, on grounds of merit rather than heredity. (Yao passed over his own son, Dan Zhu, who did not display governing ability, and chose Shun.) When Shun ascended the throne, he granted the state of Fang to Dan Zhu’s son. His descendants eventually adopted the name of the state Fang as their surname. German: from Middle High German vanc ‘catch’, ‘enclosure’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived by an enclosed plot of land, a hunting ground, a place where traps were set (for game or fish), or a pit; or a byname, meaning ‘the catch’, for a foreigner who had been forced into bondage.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Muslim: from the Persian royal title Shah ‘king’, ‘emperor’. This was the title adopted by the kings of the Pahlavi dynasty (1925–79). Shah is found in combination with other words, e.g. Shah Jahan (name of a Mughal emperor, ruled 1628–57) and Shah ?Alam ‘king of the world’ (name of a Mughal emperor, ruled 1707–12). This name is widespread in Iran and the subcontinent. Indian (Gujarat, Rajasthan): Hindu (Bania, Vania) and Jain name, from Gujarati sah ‘merchant’ (from Sanskrit sadhu ‘honest’, ‘good’). This name was originally Sah; it appears to have been altered under the influence of the Persian word for ‘king’ (see 1).

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The meaning of this surname is not listed.

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The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the name of Yin City, in present-day Shanxi province, or from a status name of a government official. A grandson of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc) was granted Yin City and in due course his descendants adopted the name of the city as their surname. Additionally, throughout the Shang (1766–1122 bc) and Zhou (1122–221 bc) dynasties, there existed a high government position called Yin. Many descendants of Yin officials adopted the status name Yin as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the Yin dynasty and the city from which it takes its name. Midway through the Shang dynasty (1766–1122 bc), the Shang moved their capital to the city of Yin, in present-day Henan province. Some scholars divide the Shang dynasty into two parts, calling the first half the Shang dynasty, and the second half the Yin dynasty. After the Zhou conquered the Shang, many descendants of the vanquished Yin adopted the city name as their surname. Cambodian: unexplained.

Chinese : there are several sources of this surname; one of them is a certain Duke Ding who lived during the reign of Wu Wang, who established the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc.

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Chinese : from the name of a state that existed during the Zhou dynasty (in present-day Shaanxi province). When the second king of the Zhou dynasty, Cheng Wang (1115–1079 bc), defeated the state of Tang in present-day Shaanxi province, he changed its name to Du and granted it to a descendant of the model emperor Yao. Descendants of the new ruler subsequently adopted the place name as their surname. Chinese : from the names of two princes of ancient territories, one from the state of Qi, and the other from the state of Zhen. Vietnamese (D{us}): unexplained.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

“Lion” in Sanskrit (Sinha). Hence Singapore - “City of the Lion”.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from the place name Gu. Records of the this surname go back to the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc), when there existed a state called Gu. Much later, during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), there existed another state of Gu. Eventually, some descendants of the ruling class of both these areas adopted the place name as their surname. Chinese : from a word meaning ‘valley’. During the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc) there existed in the state of Qin a certain Viscount Fei Zi, a descendant of the legendary emperor Zhuan Xu of the 26th century bc. Viscount Fei Zi was granted the area Qin Valley, and his descendants later adopted the word gu ‘valley’, as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the grandfather of the virtuous duke Wen Wang (1231–1135 bc), known as Gu Gong Tan Fu. The character for Gu, which also means ‘ancient’, was adopted by some of his descendants as a surname.

The meaning of this surname is not listed.

Chinese : from a word meaning ‘water’ or ‘flood’. During the time of the emperors Yao and Shun in the 23rd century bc, there was a clan known as the Gonggongshi. They took the name Gong as a surname, but in order to escape their enemies, needed to change the character for their surname; by the addition of a component meaning ‘water’, the name was changed to Hong. Another legend provides a more colorful account: the Gonggongshi were a warrior people, and were able to bring about a flood. However, the emperor Yu succeeded in establishing flood control, and he banished the Gonggongshi. Descendants, in order to commemorate the ability of their ancestors to cause floods, changed their name from Gong to the word for ‘flood’, Hong. Chinese : Cantonese variant of Kang 1. Chinese : variant of Xiang 2. Chinese : variant of Hang 1. Korean: there is only one Chinese character for the Hong surname in Korea. Some sources indicate that there are 59 different Hong clans, but only four can be documented. Each of the four clans claim different founding ancestors. The oldest Hong clan’s founding ancestor, Hong Ch’on-ha, migrated to Koguryo, Korea, sometime in the first half of the seventh century. The Hong surname is a fairly common one and is found throughout the Korean peninsula.

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Southeast Asian: unexplained.

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Chinese : from a region called Tian, which existed during the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc). A ruler of this region changed his surname to the name of the region. Vietnamese: variant of Tien.

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Chinese : from the name of Kang Shu, the eighth son of Wen Wang, who was granted the state of Wei (see Wei 3) soon after the founding of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc. Many of his descendants later adopted Kang as their surname. Another source of the name comes from the Kang Ju tribe, who moved into China from central Asia during the Han dynasty (206 bc–220 ad), and adopted their tribal name, Kang, as their surname. Chinese : variant of Geng 2. Korean: there are five Chinese characters for the surname Kang. Some records indicate that there are as many as one hundred separate Kang clans, but only four have actually been documented. There is one Chinese character for each clan. The fifth character is an alternate character for the smallest of the Kang clans, and is the result of a scribal error which was introduced in 1908. That segment of the smaller Kang clan which was labeled with the alternate character still uses it and recognizes it as the character for their surname. The largest clan, the Kang family of Chinju, first appears in the historical record in ad 597. Many members of the largest Kang clan still live in the area of Chinju of Kyongsang Province. The second Kang clan is centered on Cheju Island. The two smaller Kang clans have only a few households in all of Korea.

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Chinese : variant of Wu 1. Chinese : variant of Wu 4.

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English: unexplained. Perhaps a variant of Wren. Dutch (de Ren): origin unexplained. Variant spelling of German Renn. Swedish: soldier’s name, from ren ‘reindeer’. Chinese : from the name of Rencheng ‘Ren City’, which was granted to Yu Yang, the 25th son of the Emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc). Some of his descendants later adopted the place name as their surname.

English: occupational name for a worker in metal, from Middle English smith (Old English smið, probably a derivative of smitan ‘to strike, hammer’). Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were required, and its importance ensured that this term and its equivalents were perhaps the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe. Medieval smiths were important not only in making horseshoes, plowshares, and other domestic articles, but above all for their skill in forging swords, other weapons, and armor. This is the most frequent of all American surnames; it has also absorbed, by assimilation and translation, cognates and equivalents from many other languages (for forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988).

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Chinese : there are two sources for this character for Wen, which also means ‘warm’. One is a territory named Wen, and the other an area named Wenyi. Descendants of rulers of these areas adopted Wen as their surname. Chinese : from a character that also means ‘literature’. Its origin, however, is from the given name of an ancient personage called Wen. Chinese : from a character that also means ‘hear’. During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), in the state of Lu there existed a man who has a supplementary name, Wenren. His descendants adopted the first character of his name, Wen, as their surname. English: unexplained.

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Chinese : the origin of this surname dates back to the time of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc). An adviser held the surname Gonggong, comprised of two different characters that are pronounced Gong in modern Chinese. The first of these characters served as the basis for two later surnames: some descendants combined the symbol for ‘water’ with that for Gong, creating the surname Hong (see Hong 1); others added the character for ‘dragon’, creating the surname Gong. Chinese : from a character meaning ‘palace’, part of the title of an official in charge of guarding the palace. During the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), descendants of such an official adopted Gong as their surname. Chinese : from the name of the state of Gong-Bo, located in Henan province during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Chinese : of uncertain origin; this character came into use as a surname during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) in the state of Lu in present-day Shandong province. Chinese : from a character meaning ‘bow’. This name originated with Hui, a grandson of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc). Hui invented bows and arrows, an accomplishment that inspired two surnames: Gong, the character for ‘bow’, and Zhang (see Zhang), which is composed of the characters for ‘bow’ + ‘long’.

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Muslim: from a personal name or status name based on Turkish khan ‘ruler’, ‘nobleman’. This was originally a hereditary title among Tartar and Mongolian tribesmen (in particular Genghis Khan, 1162–1227), but is now very widely used throughout the Muslim world as a personal name. In Iran and parts of the Indian subcontinent it is used as an honorific title after a person’s name.

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Chinese : this name has at least two origins. The first is from one of the names of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc), also known as You Xiong; some of his descendants adapted this name as their surname. A second origin traces it to the end of the Shang dynasty in the 12th century bc: at this time there lived in the state of Chu a wise scholar and author, Yu Xiong, who served as teacher to the duke of Zhou, Wen Wang, famous for his virtue. Some of Yu Xiong’s descendants adopted their illustrious forebear’s given name as their surname. Laotian and Hmong: unexplained.

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Chinese : from a name of the model emperor Yu (2205–2198 bc), who was also known as Xia Yu. His descendants adopted the first character of his name as a surname. Xia Yu was a gifted man, chosen by the previous emperor on the basis of merit. His son changed this type of merit-based succession, however, establishing the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc), the first dynasty in which the throne was passed on by heredity. The existence of the Xia dynasty has not been confirmed by archaeological evidence, but Chinese historians all accept its existence as fact.

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Greek: from a short form of the personal name Athanasios (see Athanas).

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Chinese : variant of Wu 1. Chinese : variant of Wu 4. Filipino: unexplained.

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From the Flemish, Sibon; a personal name.

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Chinese : from the name of Qin Valley, in present-day Gansu province. Gao Yao, a great-grandson of the legendary emperor Zhuan Xu, was a famous minister under the model emperors Yao and Shun in the 23rd century bc; he is said to have been the first to introduce laws for the repression of crime. 1300 years later a descendant of his was rewarded for his talents in animal husbandry by being granted the lordship of Qin Valley as a vassal state. Later descendants adopted the place name Qin as their surname. Chinese : there are two branches of bearers of this character for the surname: one pronounced Qin, and the other Tan (see Tan), although both are represented with the same character.

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Chinese : from a place called Yingqiu in the state of Qi, home of the ruling family of Qi during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Descendants of this family adopted part of the placename as their surname, a situation that persisted until the reign of the Qing dynasty emperor Yongzheng (ad 1723–35), whose personal name contained the character for Qiu. He enforced a traditional prohibition upon others bearing the same name as the emperor. To comply, those with the surname Qiu, , changed their name by adding an element to the character for Qiu which resulted in another character, , with the identical pronunciation. This modified form of the surname Qiu is the one most commonly encountered today. Chinese : there are two sources of this name. One is an area named Yingqiu, located in present-day Shandong province. This area was granted to a duke of the state of Qi, whose descendants adopted part of the place name as their surname. Another source is a man called Qiudun Shi, who was a member of the Hu minority during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–581 ad). Chinese : from a character in the personal name of Qiu Mu, a senior adviser to Duke Min Gong of the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). After Duke Min Gong was killed by Wan of Song, Qiu Mu sent a punitive expedition against Wan of Song, which was, however, repulsed, with the result that Qiu Mu was killed as well. Coincidentally or not, the character for this name means ‘revenge’, and it was this character that was adopted by some of Qiu Mu’s descendants as a surname. Chinese : two sources are found for this name. One is a place called Qiu in the state of Wei during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). The other source is a family who originally used the character mentioned in 3 above, . To avoid trouble, the family switched to a different character, , which is also pronounced Qiu.

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Korean (Ch{ou}ng): there are three Chinese characters used to represent the Ch{ou}ng surname. The clans that use two of these characters are quite rare and are mostly found in Ch{ou}lla province; their origins are obscure. The more common of the three clans is the oldest and is widely distributed throughout the peninsula. Only the clans which use this more common character will be treated here. Some sources indicate that there are 215 separate Ch{ou}ng clans, but only 32 of them can be documented. The earliest and largest Ch{ou}ng clan began in 32 ad when Chibaekho, one of the six ruling elders of pre-Shilla Korea, received the surname of Ch{ou}ng from the Shilla King Yuri Isag{uu}m (ad 24–57). Ch{ou}ng is one of the most common Korean surnames. Chinese : variant of Zhuang. Chinese : Cantonese form of Zang 1. Chinese : variant of Zhong. Chinese : variant of Zhang 1. Chinese : variant of Zong.

Hispanic, but not found in present-day Spain: unexplained.

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Chinese : from the place name Cui, in present-day Shandong province. In the 11th century bc, the eldest son of Ding, Duke of Qi (see Ting) abdicated his right of succession and moved to the area of Cui in present-day Shandong province. His descendants eventually adopted the place name Cui as their surname.

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From the Biblical personal name Adam, which was borne, according to Genesis, by the first man. It is the generic Hebrew term for ‘man’, probably from Hebrew adama ‘earth’. Compare the classical Greek legend that Zeus fashioned the first human beings from earth. It was very popular as a personal name among non-Jews throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, and the surname is found in one form or another in most of the countries of Europe. Jews, however, have never used this personal name, except in recent times under Polish and English influence. Among Scottish and Irish bearers it is sometimes a reduced form of McAdam.

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Chinese : variant of Xu 1. Chinese : variant of Xu 2.

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Indian (chiefly Rajasthan and Gujarat): Jain name from Sanskrit jaina ‘derived from Jina’ or ‘follower of Jina’. Jina, meaning ‘triumphant’, is an epithet for a saint of the Jain religion.

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This form represents at least ten different Chinese family names, as well as a Korean one. Chinese : variant of Zhu 1. Chinese : from the name of an adminstrative position during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). At this time, many dukes of the Zhou dynasty, including the duke of the state of Song, established a high administrative position which may be roughly translated as ‘Chu master’. The descendants of a Song Chu master took this title as their surname. Additionally, there was an area named Chu during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc) which lent its name to the people who lived there. Chinese : variant of Zhu 2. Chinese : variant of Qu 1. Chinese : from the name of the state of Chu, one of the most powerful states of the Warring States period (403–221 bc), adopted as a surname by its ruling class. Chinese : variant of Ju. Chinese : variant of Qu 2. Chinese : variant of Qu 3. Chinese : variant of Zhu 3. Chinese : variant of Zhu 4. Korean: there are two Chinese characters for the Chu surname in use in Korea. One character has only one clan associated with it (the Shinan Chu clan), and while some records indicate that the other has as many as 25, only four can be documented; all of these descended from a common ancestor, Chu Hwang, who was naturalized in 907. The Shinan Chu clan is descended from a man named Chu Cham, a direct descendant of the Chinese philosopher Chu-tze. Chu Cham migrated from China to Korea some time in the early 13th century. Chu is a fairly common surname and is found throughout the peninsula.

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Chinese : Cantonese variant of Cai 1. Chinese : variant of Xu 1. Korean: variant of Choe.

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Chinese : from the title Marquis of Ji, which was awarded to a descendant of an ancient emperor. In due course his descendants adopted Ji as their surname. This character also means ‘write down’ or ‘record’. Chinese : from a term meaning ‘youngest brother’, which was also used as a personal name. The descendants of some of these youngest brothers adopted Ji as their surname. Chinese : there are two sources of this character as a surname. The first is from Bo Shu, a great-grandson of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc). He was given an honorary surname, Ji, which was adopted by his descendants and later slightly altered to another character for Ji (a prescient decision, as the older character now means ‘prostitute’ in modern Chinese, while the altered form means ‘auspicious’). The second source is from Manchuria. Chinese : from the state of Ji during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Chinese : from a byname of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc), who supposedly acquired the name from the Ji river, by which he lived as a boy. A branch of his descendants kept the surname, and it was from this branch that the rulers of the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc) claimed descent. Chinese : from one of the characters in the word dianji ‘library’, ‘collection of classical books and historical records’. In the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), there existed an official in charge of classical books and historical records. Descendants of at least one such official adopted this character as their surname. Chinese : from part of the name of an area called Huiji. A king of the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc) granted this area to his son, and its name was subsequently adopted by the son’s descendants as their surname. At the beginning of the Han dynasty (206 bc–220 AD) a branch of this clan move to an area in present-day Anhui province called Ji Mountain. The characters for Ji in the names Huiji and ‘Ji mountain’ are very similar and are pronounced the same; this branch of the family modified the surname to correspond to the name of their new home in Ji mountain.

Korean: There are two Chinese characters for the surname Kong. One of these is borne by only one clan, the other by two clans. One of the Kong clans claims Confucius as its ancestor, the 53rd ancestor of Confucius having migrated from his home in China to Koryo and settled in Ch’angwon, where his grave can still be seen today. The other two Kong clans, the Kimhae Kong and the Munch’on Kong clans both sprang from descendants of a famous T’ang Chinese scholar, Kong Yun-po. A man named Kong Myong-nye founded the Kimhae Kong clan when he was exiled to Kimhae during the reign of Choson King Songjong in the latter half of the fifteenth century. The founder of the Munch’on Kong clan, Kong Chin-on, was banished to Munchon in Hamgyong province during the reign of Choson King Sejong during the first half of the fifteenth century. Chinese : Cheng Tang was the first king of the Shang dynasty, founded in 1766 bc. Although now known as Cheng Tang, his surname was Zi, and he had a ‘style name’ (given around age 20) of Tai Yi. Later descendants of his combined the character for Zi with the character for Yi, creating the character for Kong, and adopted the latter as their surname. The Con in ‘Confucius’ represents this surname. Chinese : variant of Jiang 1. Chinese : variant of Gong 1. Cambodian: unexplained. Danish: nickname from Danish kong ‘king’, or occupational nickname for someone in the service of the king.

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Chinese and Korean: variant of Ko. Filipino: unexplained.

Peruvian: unexplained. The etymology is not Spanish; it is probably Quechuan. Chinese : variant of Cai 1.

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Chinese : from a place name, Wan City, that existed during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc) in Shaanxi province. Descendants of a marquise who was granted the territory adopted the city name as their surname. Chinese : variant of Wen 1. Chinese : variant of Yin 1. Dutch: occupational name for a maker or seller of winnowing fans, from Latin vannus. Scottish: variant of Wann.

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Muslim: probably an ethnic name for an Egyptian, a variant of Arabic Mi?sri ‘Egyptian’, a derivative of Mi?sr ‘Egypt’. Compare Masri. Italian: from a patronymic or plural form of Mitro.

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Chinese : from the name of an area called Mao, in present-day Henan province, during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc. Bo Dan, the ninth son of Wen Wang, was granted this following the establishment of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc). In due course his descendants adopted the place name Mao as their surname. This character also means ‘hair’ or ‘feather’. This was the family name of Mao Zedong (1893–1976), the Chinese Communist Party chairman. Chinese : another son of Wen Wang—the third, Mao Shu—was granted a different state, whose name is also pronounced Mao. Descendants adopted the name of this state as their surname. This character also means ‘thatched’ or ‘type of grass used in thatching’. Cambodian: unexplained.

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Chinese : from the name of the ancient city of Zoutu. The legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc) used this city as a military base. Both characters forming its name, Zou and Tu (see Tu), were adopted as surnames.

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Chinese : during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc), there were two sources of the name Meng. A son of a prince in the state of Lu was called Meng Sun, while a duke of the state of Wei had a ‘style name’ of Meng Zhi. Descendants of both adopted the Meng portion of their names as their surname. This was the family name of Meng Zi, known to the West as Mencius, the Confucian philosopher. Chinese : two sources of this surname are a General Men of the Qin Dynasty (221–206 bc) and a place named Mengshuang in Hebei province. Additionally, the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 ad) was under the rule of Mongolia, known in Chinese as Menggu. Menggu became a surname, which in later times was generally shortened to Meng. German: from a form of the personal name Magnus. German: variant of Menger. Danish: habitational name from a place so named. Danish: variant of Mang.

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English and French: nickname for a tall person, from Old English lang, long, Old French long ‘long’, ‘tall’ (equivalent to Latin longus). Irish (Ulster (Armagh) and Munster): reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Longáin (see Langan). Chinese : from the name of an official treasurer called Long, who lived during the reign of the model emperor Shun (2257–2205 bc). his descendants adopted this name as their surname. Additionally, a branch of the Liu clan (see Lau 1), descendants of Liu Lei, who supposedly had the ability to handle dragons, was granted the name Yu-Long (meaning roughly ‘resistor of dragons’) by the Xia emperor Kong Jia (1879–1849 bc). Some descendants later simplified Yu-Long to Long and adopted it as their surname. Chinese : there are two sources for this name. One was a place in the state of Lu in Shandong province during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). The other source is the Xiongnu nationality, a non-Han Chinese people. Chinese : variant of Lang. Cambodian: unexplained.

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Chinese : from a Chinese word denoting a feudal rank, often translated into English as ‘marquis’. One known source of the surname is Marquis Hou Min of the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc).

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Jewish: variant of Kassin.

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Korean: the second most common surname in Korea, comprising about 16 percent of the total population. It is found in every part of the country. There are three Chinese characters for the surname Yi, but two of the three are quite rare, and one of these is not found outside North Korea. Although some sources indicate that there are as many as 546 different clans, only about 100 have been documented. The founder of the oldest clan, the Kyongju Yi, was named Yi Al–p’yong and lived in ad 32. He was one of the six original governors of pre-Shilla Korea. Aside from a few other Yi families that originated from the Kyongju Yi clan, most of the other 100 or so clans were formed at the end of the Koryo or beginning of the Choson periods. Some Korean Yi families trace their origins back to China. The founder of the Choson Kingdom, or Yi Dynasty, Yi Song-gye, was a member of the Yi clan from Chonju. This clan ruled the Korean peninsula from 1392 to 1910. Chinese : from an area named Yi, probably from Yi county in Hebei province.

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Southeast Asian: unexplained. Dutch: variant of Winne. English: variant spelling of Wynn.

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Americanized spelling of Slovenian Campa, a nickname for a left-handed person, from the dialect word campa ‘left hand’.

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Vietnamese: unexplained.

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Chinese : from the place name Jia. The third king of the Zhou dynasty, Kang (1078–1053 bc), made a grant of the fief of Jia. When the state of Jin later conquered Jia, the former ruling class adopted the place name Jia as their surname.

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Muslim (widespread throughout the Muslim world): from the Arabic personal name ?Ali ‘high’, ‘lofty’, ‘sublime’. Al-?Ali ‘the All-High’ is an attribute of Allah. Abdul-?Ali means ‘servant of the All-High’. ?Ali ibn Abi ?Talib (c. 600–661), the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, was the fourth and last of the ‘rightly guided’ khalifs (ruled 656–61) and the first imam of the Shiite Muslims. His assassination led to the appearance of the Shiite sect.

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Chinese : said to be from a modified form of the name of Lei Zu, principal wife of the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc) and the first woman to be designated empress. Chinese : Cantonese variant of Li 1. Dutch: nickname for a lazy person, from Middle Dutch lei ‘lazy’.

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Chinese : variant of Zhang.

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Chinese : according to legend, this name comes from Bai Huang, the name of a prehistoric Chinese leader. At a later date, the kingdom of Bai in the area of present-day Henan province gave its name to descendants of its ruling clan. The Chinese character for this name may also mean ‘cypress’. Chinese : from the name of the Victorious Duke Bai of the kingdom of Chu, who lived during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). This Chinese character may also mean ‘white’ or ‘clear’. Korean: variant of Pae.

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Southern Italian (Samá): from the Biblical personal name. Catalan (Samà): habitational name from Samà, a place in Catalonia. Asturian-Leonese: in some cases, a habitational name from any of various places in Asturies named Sama. Indian (Gujarat): Hindu (Rajput) name of unknown meaning. The Samas are believed to be an offshoot of the Jadeja tribe. Japanese (not common in Japan): variously written, the name appears to be topographic, deriving from the word semai ‘narrow’.

Chinese : variant of Lin 1. Chinese : variant of Lan. Vietnamese (Lâm): unexplained. Dutch and North German: from a short form of the personal name Lambert. Danish: nickname for a gentle person, from Old Norse lamb ‘lamb’, or possibly for a lame man, Old Norse lami.

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Chinese : variant of Tang 2. Chinese : variant of Tang 3. Chinese : from a modification of the character Zhong (). In the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc), there existed a senior adviser whose name was Zhonggu. Much later, in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 ad), some descendants settled along a river that became known as the Tong Family river. As the Manchus moved southwards, some took up residence by this river and they too adopted Tong as their surname. Chinese : from Lao Tong, the ‘style name’ given to a son of Zhuan Xu, legendary emperor of the 26th century bc. Two of his sons became important advisers to the next emperor, Ku. Some descendants of Lao Tong adopted a character from his style name as their surname. Chinese: see also Dong. English: metonymic occupational name for a maker or user of tongs (Old English tang(e)), or a habitational name from one of the places named with this word (there are examples in Lancashire, Shropshire, and West Yorkshire), from their situation by a fork in a road or river, considered as resembling a pair of tongs. English: topographic name for someone who lived on a tongue of land, or a habitational name from a place named with this word (Old English tunge, Old Norse tunga), for example Tonge in Leicestershire. Alternatively, Reaney suggests that it may have been a nickname from the same word in the sense of a chatterbox or a scold. Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Antonius (see Anthony). It could also be from Dutch tong ‘tongue’ and hence a nickname for a chatterbox or scold, or possibly a shortening of Van Tongeren, a habitational name for someone from Tongeren in the province of Gelderland.

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English and Scottish: topographic name for someone who lived near a tumulus, mound or hill, Middle English lowe, from Old English hlaw (see Law 2). Scottish and English: nickname for a short man, from Middle English lah, lowe (Old Norse lágr; the word was adopted first into the northern dialects of Middle English, where Scandinavian influence was strong, and then spread south, with regular alteration of the vowel quality). English and Scottish (of Norman origin): nickname for a violent or dangerous person, from Anglo-Norman French lou, leu ‘wolf’ (Latin lupus). Wolves were relatively common in Britain at the time when most surnames were formed, as there still existed large tracts of uncleared forest. Scottish: from a pet form of Lawrence. Compare Lowry 1. Americanized spelling of Jewish Lowe.

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Korean: there are two Chinese characters for the surname Cho. Some records indicate a total of 210 different clans which use the more common Cho character, but only fifteen can be documented with confidence. Each of these claims a different founding ancestor. Most of them trace their origins to the beginning of the Kory{ou} kingdom (early 10th century). Only one clan, the Ch’angny{ou}ng Cho, uses the other Chinese character. The founder of this clan’s name was Cho Kye-ryong. According to legend, there was a certain scholar named Yi Kwang-ok, whose daughter very much wanted to marry. A monk visited her and told her to go to Hwawang Mountain to pray at the dragon pond. The maiden did so, and upon her return found herself to be pregnant. In a dream, a young man with a crown and a jade belt appeared to her. A few months later, in the 48th year of the reign of the Shilla King Chinp’y{ou}ng (ad 626), she gave birth to a little boy under whose arm the Chinese character for Cho appeared in red. The king, understanding the boy to be special, named him Cho Kyeryong and married him to his daughter, the princess. So began the Ch’angny{ou}ng Cho clan. Chinese : Min variant of Cao. Chinese : variant of Zhuo.

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Chinese : from a word meaning ‘money’. In the early part of the Zhou dynasty (1122–256 bc) lived Peng Fu, a grandson of Peng Zu, the venerable man who represents longevity in Chinese culture. He himself was a great-grandson of the legendary emperor Zhuan Xu. Peng Fu became the chief financial official in an area of central China, now part of Jiangsu province. Qian, the Chinese character for ‘money’, was part of his title in this role, and was adopted by his descendants as their surname.

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Chinese : a surname that originated during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc) from the name of the state of Qi, an area located in parts of present-day Shandong and Hebei provinces. Chinese : there are two sources of this name: the legendary emperor Huang Di (2697–2595 bc) gave one of his sons the name Qi, and there existed in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) a fief named Qi. Chinese : in the state of Wei during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) Sun Linfu, a high counselor, was granted the lordship of Qi. Sun Linfu became embroiled in power struggles within the state of Wei, however, and was defeated. His descendants fled to the state of Jin, where they adopted the name of their previous fiefdom, Qi, as their surname.

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Chinese : from the name of the youngest son of Duke Wu Gong of the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). He was brought up by a doting mother and became an arrogant and domineering man. Upon being granted a fief, he raised an army with the goal of overthrowing his elder brother, Duke Zhuang Gong. Hearing of this, the latter remarked, ‘excessive unrighteous behavior must die of itself’, and as he expected, his younger brother failed. Nevertheless some of his descendants adopted Duan as their surname. Another source of the name is from Duan-gan Mu of the state of Wei during the Warring States period (403–221 BC). His descendants simplified Duan-gan to Duan and adopted that as their surname.

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Chinese : variant of Cai 1. Chinese : Cantonese variant of Chai.

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Chinese : from a character meaning ‘mountain pass’ or ‘guarded passage’. This formed part of the title of an official in charge of guarding strategic passes. Descendants of one such official are known to have adopted the character as their surname. Another source is Guan Longfeng, a senior official during the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc). Chinese : from the name of the short-lived state of Guan created when the Zhou dynasty was established in 1122 bc. The third son of Wen Wang, Guan Shu, was granted this state. He soon betrayed his family’s trust, however, by allying himself, along with two of his brothers, with the descendants of the Shang dynasty that the Zhou had just displaced. This rebellion was put down and Guan Shu was killed. His clan dispersed, but some descendants later adopted the name Guan as their surname. The character for this name also means ‘tube’ or ‘pipe’ and ‘manage’.

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Indian (southern states): reduced form of Subramanian. Indian (Kerala): among Christians from Kerala, a pet form of Emmanuel. It is only a given name in Kerala, but in the U.S. used as a family name among people from Kerala.

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English (also very common in Wales): patronymic from William.

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Chinese : from the name of a village called Pang, which was granted to a descendant of Bi Gonggao, the 15th son of the virtuous duke Wu Wang, whose magnanimous rule led to the establishment of the Zhou dynasty in 1122 bc. Later descendants adopted the name of the village as their surname. Chinese : from the name of a prince of the Yin dynasty (1401–1122 bc), Pang Boling. Chinese : variant of Peng. Korean: there are five Chinese characters for this surname; only one, however, is common enough to warrant treatment here. The clan associated with this character is the Onyang Pang. The founding ancestor of this clan was a Tang Chinese named Pang Chi, who lived in Hunan province, China, until his migration to Shilla in 669. There is a gap in the records after Pang Chi. The ancestor who settled in the Onyang area was named Pang Un. He served the early Koryo Wang Dynasty faithfully, so when he retired to the Onyang area, local geographic features were named after him and many of his descendants continued to live there, hence the name of their clan. Variant of German Bang.

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Chinese : there are two accounts of the origin of this surname, which is represented by a character that also means ‘to’. The first account derives the name from Xiang Ji, a senior adviser to Wu Wang, the first king (1122–1116 bc) of the Zhou dynasty. The second account traces it to Xiang Fu, a son of a duke of the State of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). Chinese : from the name of an ancient state of Xiang. Following the defeat of this state, its residents adopted its name as their surname. Chinese : from the name of Xiang, the fifth king of the Xia dynasty (2205–1766 bc).

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Chinese : from a byname of a certain Prince Yan, who lived during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) in the state of Zheng, in modern-day Henan province. He had the byname Ziyou, and the second character of this name was adopted as a surname by his descendants. Chinese : altered form of the surname Shen. During the Five Dynasties period (907–960) the founder of the state of Min, in present-day Fujian province, was called Wang Shen Zhi. The character in his name for Shen, , was pronounced in the same way as the character for the surname Shen, (see Shen 1). This spelled danger for those named Shen, as the culture of the time regarded imitation not as as flattery, but as criminal arrogance. A solution to the problem was developed by dropping from the portion signifying water, which changed the character into ,pronounced You. Korean: variant of Yu.

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Origin unidentified.

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Indian (northern states): Hindu (Bania) and Jain name, from Sanskrit gupta ‘secret’, ‘protected’. This is a well-known name of ancient India; the two greatest empires of ancient northern India were both founded by persons named Chandragupta (see also Chandra). The founder of the Maurya empire in the 4th century bc was Chandragupta Maurya. In the 4th century ad, the Gupta empire was founded by another Chandragupta, and a long line of Gupta kings ruled India for about 200 years.

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English: possibly a variant of Tye. Jewish (from Poland): metonymic occupational name for a tea merchant, from central Yiddish tay ‘tea’. Chinese : variant of Zheng.

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Chinese : from the name of a place called Mo City (), said to have been founded by Zhuan Xu, legendary emperor who lived in the 26th century bc. The current Chinese character for Mo replaces another, rare or obsolete character. Another source of this name was a government post called Mo’ao, which existed during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc) in the state of Chu. Descendants of a holder of the post adopted the first character of the title as their surname. Chinese : variant of Wu 5. Chinese : variant of Mao 1. Chinese : variant of Wu 3. Norwegian: variant of Moe.

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Chinese : from the name of Gao Chai, a disciple of Confucius during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). His descendants adopted this character as their surname; it also means ‘firewood’. Korean: variant of Chae.

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