This article needs additional citations for verification .(February 2024) |
A Chinese compound surname is a Chinese surname using more than one character. Many of these compound surnames derive from Zhou dynasty Chinese noble and official titles, professions, place names and other areas, to serve a purpose. Some are originally from various tribes that lived in ancient China, while others were created by joining two one-character family names. Only a few of these names (e.g. Ouyang [歐陽/欧阳], Shangguan [上官], Sima [司馬/司马], Zhuge [諸葛/诸葛], Situ [司徒], Xiahou [夏侯], Huangfu [皇甫], and Huyan [呼延]) can still be found quite commonly in modern times with Ouyang, Shangguan, Sima and Situ appearing most frequently. Many clans eventually took on a single-character surname for various reasons.[ why? ] Lists below are arranged alphabetically by their Mandarin pinyin spellings.
Chinese characters | Meaning or origin | Mandarin (Pinyin) | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Hokkien (POJ) | Vietnamese | Korean | Japanese | Notable people |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
百里 | Hundred li | Bǎilǐ | Baak3 Lei5 | Bách Lý | Baengni; Baengri (백리) | Hyakuri | Baili Xi | |
淳于 | An ancient Chinese kingdom | Chúnyú | Seon4 Jyu1 | Thuần Vu | Sun-u (순우) | Jun'u | Chunyu Qiong | |
第五 | The fifth | Dìwǔ | Dai6 Ng5 | Đệ Ngũ | Je-o (제오) | Daigo | Diwu Qi | |
東方 (东方) | "East", descendants of Fuxi clan according to legend | Dōngfāng | Dung1 Fong1 | Đông Phương | Dongbang (동방) | Tōhō | Dongfang Shuo (東方朔) | |
東閣 (东阁) | "Eastern Pavilion" | Dōnggé | Dung1 Gok3 | Đông Các | Donggak (동각) | Tōkaku | ||
東郭 (东郭) | "Eastern Wall" | Dōngguō | Dung1 Gwok3 | Đông Quách | Donggwak (동곽) | Tōkaku | ||
東門 (东门) | "East Gate", place of residence, from Zhou dynasty | Dōngmén | Dung1 Mun4 | Đông Môn | Dongmun (동문) | Tōmon | ||
端木 | Duānmù | Dyun1 Muk6 | Tuan-bo̍k | Đoan Mộc | Danmok (단목) | Tanboku | Duanmu Ci (端木賜), San Duanmu | |
公孫 (公孙) | "Dukes' descendants", an address of the noble descendants in the Spring and Autumn period | Gōngsūn | Gung1 Syun1 | Kong-sun | Công Tôn | Gongson (공손) | Kōson | Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Long |
公羊 | Branch of Gongsun | Gōngyáng | Gung1 Joeng4 | Kong-iông | Công Dương | Gong-yang (공양) | Kōyō | Gongyang Gao (公羊高) |
公冶 | Branch of Ji, from courtesy name of Jiye (季冶) of Lu in the Eastern Zhou dynasty | Gōngyě | Gung1 Je5 | Công Dã | Gong-ya (공야) | Kōya | Gongye Chang (公冶長) | |
公西 | Gōngxī | Gung1 Sai1 | Công Tây | Gongseo (공서) | Kōsai | Gongxi Chi (公西赤) | ||
毌丘 | Place name | Guànqiū | Kwun3 Jau1 | Quán Khâu | Gwan-gu (관구) | Kankyū | Guanqiu Jian | |
穀梁 (谷梁) | Sorghum grains (?) | Gǔliáng | Guk1 Loeng4 | Cốc Lương | Gongnyang; Gongryang (곡량) | Kokuryō | ||
皇甫 | Branch of Zi (子), from 皇父, the courtesy name of Huangfu Chongshi (皇父充石) of the Duchy of Song in the Eastern Zhou dynasty | Huángfǔ | Wong4 Pou2 | Hông-hú | Hoàng Phủ | Hwangbo (황보) | Kōfu | Huangfu Song, Huangfu Ran (皇甫冉) |
黄斯 | Huangsi | Hoàng Tư | ||||||
蘭向(兰向) | Lanxiang | Lan Hướng | ||||||
令狐 | Place name | Línghú | Ling6 Wu4 | Lîng-hô· | Lệnh Hồ | Yeongho; Ryeongho (령호) | Reiko | Linghu Chu |
甪里 | Place name | Lùlǐ | Luk6 Lei5 | Lộ Lý | Nongni; Rongri (록리) | Rokuri | ||
閭丘 (闾丘) | Place name | Lǘqiū | Leoi4 Jau1 | Lư Khâu | Yeogu; Ryeogu (려구) | Ryokyū | Luqiu Luwei (閭丘露薇) | |
南宮 (南宫) | Southern Palace | Nángōng | Naam4 Gung1 | Nam Cung | Namgung (남궁) | Nankyū | Nangong Kuo (Western Zhou) | |
歐陽 (欧阳) | South of Mt. Ou Yu | Ōuyáng | Au1Joeng4 | Au-iông | Âu Dương | Gu-yang (구양) | Ōyō | Jimmy O. Yang |
上官 | High official (place name) | Shàngguān | Soeng6 Gun1 | Siōng-koan | Thượng Quan | Sanggwan (상관) | Shōkan | Empress Shangguan, Shangguan Wan'er, Shangguan Yunxiang |
申屠 | Shēntú | San1 Tou4 | Thân Đồ | Sindo (신도) | Shinto | Shentu Jian (申屠建) | ||
司馬 (司马) | "Master of the Horse" or "Marshall", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han dynasty | Sīmǎ | Si1 Maa5 | Su-má | Tư Mã | Sama (사마) | Shiba | Sima Qian, emperors of the Jin dynasty |
司徒 | "Minister over the Masses", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han dynasty | Sītú | Si1 Tou4 (SooHoo in Toisan) | Su-tô· | Tư Đồ | Sado (사도) | Shito | Szeto Wah, Sitoh Yih Pin |
司空 | "Minister of Works", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han dynasty | Sīkōng | Si1 Hung1 | Tư Không | Sagong (사공) | Shikū | Sikong Ting (司空頲) | |
司寇 | "Minister of Justice" | Sīkòu | Si1 Kau3 | Tư Khấu | Sagu (사구) | Shikō | ||
太史 | "Grand Historian", an imperial official title | Tàishǐ | Taai3 Si2 | Thái Sử | Taesa (태사) | Taishi | Taishi Ci | |
澹臺 (澹台) | Tántái | Taam4 Toi4 | Đam Đài | Damdae (담대) | Tantai | Tantai Mieming | ||
聞人 (闻人) | "famous person", descendants of Shaozheng Mao (少正卯) | Wénrén | Man4 Jan4 | Văn Nhân | Mun-in (문인) | Bunjin | ||
巫馬 (巫马) | "Horse" | Wūmǎ | Ng5 Maa5 | Vu Mã | Uma (우마)) | Goba | Wuma Shi (巫馬施) | |
夏侯 | "Marquess Xia", from noble title granted to the descendants of Yu the Great by Duke of Lu in the Spring and Autumn period | Xiàhóu | Haa6 Hau6 | Hā-hô͘ | Hạ Hầu | Hahu (하후) | Kakō | Xiahou Ying, Xiahou Dun |
鮮于 (鲜于) | Xiānyú | Sin1 Jyu1 | Tiên Vu | Seon-u (선우) | Sen'u | Xianyu Zhongtong (鮮于仲通) | ||
西門 (西门) | "West Gate", place of residence, from Marquessate of Zheng in the Spring and Autumn period | Xīmén | Sai1 Mun4 | Tây Môn | Seomun (서문) | Saimon | Ximen Bao | |
軒轅 (轩辕) | The (personal) name of the Yellow Emperor | Xuānyuán | Hin1 Jyun4 | Hian-oàn | Hiên Viên | Heon-won (헌원) | Ken'en | Yellow Emperor |
楊子 (杨子) | A branch of 楊 (Yang) | Yángzǐ | Joeng4 Zi2 | Dương Tử | Yangja (양자) | Yōshi | ||
樂正 (乐正) | Minister of music | Yuèzhèng | Ngok6 Zing3 | Nhạc Chính | Akjeong (악정) | Gakusei | ||
鍾離 (钟离) | A country in Chunqiu | Zhōnglí | Zung1 Lei4 | Chung Ly | Jongni; Jongri (종리) | Shōri | Zhongli Mu (鐘離牧), Zhongli Mo | |
諸葛 (诸葛) | A branch of 葛 (Ge) | Zhūgě | Zyu1 Got3 | Chu-kat | Gia Cát (Chư Cát) | Jegal (제갈) | Shokatsu | Jegal Je-min Zhuge Liang |
祝融 | God of Fire | Zhùróng | Zuk1 Jung4 | Chúc Dung | Chug-yung (축융) | Shukuyū | Lady Zhurong | |
子車 (子车) | Zǐjū | Zi2 Geoi1 | Tử Xa | Jageo (자거) | Shikyo | |||
左人 | Left-handed man | Zuǒrén | Zo2 Jan4 | Tả Nhân | Jwa-in (좌인) | Sajin |
Double-barrelled surname (雙姓) occurs sometimes when both families of a marriage wish to pass down their surnames, or when a child wishes to commemorate both the biological and foster parents. This is often distinguished from compound surnames (複姓), which cannot be split into two single-character surnames. A doubled-barrelled surname is also distinguished from a married name (冠夫姓), as married names are not passed down to the next generations.
Chinese Characters | Mandarin (Pinyin) | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Hokkien (POJ) | Vietnamese | Korean | Japanese | Notable People |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
范姜 | Fànjiāng | Hoān-khiong | Phạm Khương | Fan Chiang Tai-chi | |||
陸費 (陆费) | Lùfèi (Lùbì) | Luk6 Fai3 | Lục Phí | Yugbi; Ryugbi (륙비) | Rikuhi | Lufei Kui | |
葉劉 (叶刘) | Yèliú | Ia̍p-lâu | Diệp Lưu | ||||
張簡 (张简) | Zhāngjiǎn | Tiuⁿ-kán | Trương Giản | Louis Ozawa Changchien | |||
張廖 (张廖) | Zhāngliào | Tiuⁿ-liāu | Trương Liêu | ||||
Peoples other than Han have resided in China and have their names transliterated into Chinese. A large number of these non-Han surnames contain more than one Chinese character.
Chinese Characters | Meaning/Origin | Origin | Mandarin (Pinyin) | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Hokkien (POJ) | Vietnamese | Korean | Japanese | Notable People |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
阿史那 | Wolf (cf. Asena) | Possibly Turkic | Āshǐnà | Aa3 Si2 Naa5 | A Sử Na | Asana (아사나) | Ashina | Empress Ashina | |
愛新覺羅 (爱新觉罗) | Gold | Manchu | Àixīnjuéluó (Aisin Gioro) | Oi3 San1 Gok3 Lo4 | Ài-sin-kak-lô | Ái Tân Giác La | Aesin-gangna; Aesin-gangra (애신각라) | Aishinkakura | Qing rulers |
孛兒只斤 (孛儿只斤) | Mongol | Bó'érzhījīn (Borjigin) | But6 Ji4 Zi2 Gan1 | Bột Nhi Chỉ Cân (Bát Nhĩ Tế Cát Đặc) | Bar-ajigeun (발아지근) | Botsujishikin | Genghis Khan | ||
獨孤 (独孤) | Xianbei | Dúgū | Duk6 Gu1 | Độc Cô | Dokgo (독고) | Dokko/Dokuko | Dugu Qieluo | ||
爾朱 (尔朱) | Xiongnu | Erzhu | Ji5 Zyu1 | Nhĩ Chu | Iju (이주) | Jishu | Erzhu Rong, Erzhu Zhao | ||
賀蘭 (贺兰) | Helan Mountains | Xianbei | Hèlán | Ho6 Laan4 | Hạ Lan | Haran (하란) | Garan | Princess Dowager Helan | |
赫連 (赫连) | Xiongnu | Hèlián | Haak1 Lin4 | Hách Liên | Hyeongnyeon; Hyeongryeon (혁련) | Kakuren | Helian Bobo | ||
賀若 (贺若) | Xianbei | Hèruò | Ho6 Joek6 | Hạ Nhược | Ha-yak (하약) | Kajaku | Heruo Bi (賀若弼) | ||
赫舍里 | Water spring | Manchu | Hèsheli | Haak1 Se2 Lei5 | Hách Xá Lý | Hyeoksari (혁사리) | Kakushari | Hešeri Sonin, Empress Xiaochengren, Songgotu | |
万俟 | Xianbei | Mòqí | Mak6 Kei4 | Mặc Kỳ | Mansa (만사) | Bokuji | Moqi Chounu (万俟醜奴) | ||
慕容 | Xianbei | Mùróng | Mou6 Jung4 | Bō·-iông | Mộ Dung | Mo-yong (모용) | Boyū | Murong Huang | |
納蘭 (纳兰) | Variant of 叶赫那拉 (Yehenala) | Manchu | Nàlán | Naap6 Laan4 | Nạp Lan | Namnan; Namran (납란) | Nōran | Nalan Xingde | |
星团 | Xīngtuán | Shin-dan (신단) | |||||||
呼延 | Xiongnu | Hūyán | Fu1 Jin4 | Hô Diên | Ho-yeon (호연) | Koen | Empress Huyan, Huyan Zan | ||
沙吒 | Göktürk | Shāzhā | Saa1 Zaa1 | Sa Tra | Sata (사타) | Sata | Shazha Zhongyi (沙吒忠義) | ||
拓跋 | Xianbei | Tuòbá | Tok3 Bat6 | Thác Bạt | Takbal (탁발) | Takubatsu | Emperors of Northern Wei, formerly surname of Tangut rulers, Western Xia | ||
完顏 (完颜) | Jurchen | Wányán | Jyun4 Ngaan4 | Hoàn Nhan | Wan-an (완안) | Kangan | Wanyan Aguda | ||
耶律 | Khitan | Yēlǜ | Ye4 Leut6 | Da Luật (Gia Luật) | Ya-yul (야율) | Yaritsu/Jaritsu | Emperors of Liao dynasty, Yelü Chucai | ||
尉遲 (尉迟) | Xianbei | Yùchí | Wat1 Ci4 | Uất Trì (Úy Trì) | Ulji (울지) | Utchi/Utsuchi | Yuchi Jingde, Yuchi Jiong | ||
宇文 | Xianbei | Yǔwén | Jyu5 Man4 | Vũ Văn | Umun (우문) | Ubun | Yuwen Tai, emperors of Northern Zhou | ||
長孫 (长孙) [1] | Xianbei | Zhǎngsūn | Zoeng2 Syun1 | Trưởng Tôn | Jangson (장손) | Chōson | Zhangsun Wuji, Empress Zhangsun (wife of Emperor Taizong of Tang) | ||
Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in Greater China, Korea, Vietnam and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Written Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the Western tradition in which surnames are written last. Around 2,000 Han Chinese surnames are currently in use, but the great proportion of Han Chinese people use only a relatively small number of these surnames; 19 surnames are used by around half of the Han Chinese people, while 100 surnames are used by around 87% of the population. A report in 2019 gives the most common Chinese surnames as Wang and Li, each shared by over 100 million people in China. The remaining eight of the top ten most common Chinese surnames are Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Wu and Zhou.
Chinese names are personal names used by individuals from Greater China and other parts of the Sinophone world. Sometimes the same set of Chinese characters could be chosen as a Chinese name, a Hong Kong name, a Japanese name, a Korean name, or a Vietnamese name, but they would be spelled differently due to their varying historical pronunciation of Chinese characters.
Zhuge Liang, also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist, and engineer who lived through the end of the Eastern Han dynasty and the early Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. During the Three Kingdoms period, he served as the Imperial Chancellor of the state of Shu Han (221–263) from its founding in 221 and later as regent from 223 until his death in September or October 234.
Sima is a Chinese family name. It is one of the rare two-character Chinese family names; most Chinese family names consist of only a single character. It is an occupational surname, literally meaning "control" (sī) "horses" (mǎ), or "horse officer". The family name originated from one of the offices of the Zhou dynasty.
Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Yuan is a Chinese surname ranked 37th in China by population in 2019. In Standard Chinese, the surname is transliterated Yuán or Yüen2" (Wade-Giles). Other romanizations include Yeu (Shanghainese), Ion, Yuen (Cantonese), Oan, Wang (Teochew), Won (Korean), and Viên (Vietnamese). Pronunciation differs widely from region to region.
A double-barrelled name is a type of compound surname, typically featuring two words, often joined by a hyphen. Notable people with double-barrelled names include Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Sacha Baron Cohen and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions were a series of five military campaigns launched by the state of Shu Han against the rival state of Cao Wei from 228 to 234 during the Three Kingdoms period in China. All five expeditions were led by Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor and regent of Shu. Although they proved unsuccessful and ended up as a stalemate, the expeditions have become some of the best known conflicts of the Three Kingdoms period and one of the few battles during it where each side fought against each other with hundreds of thousands of troops, as opposed to other battles where one side had a huge numerical advantage.
Ouyang is a Chinese surname. It is the most common two-character Chinese compound surname, being the only two-character name of the 400 most common Chinese surnames, according to a 2013 study.
Zhuge Dan, courtesy name Gongxiu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. When he held key military appointments throughout his middle to late career, he was involved in all of the three rebellions which broke out in Shouchun between 251 and 258. During the second rebellion, he actively assisted the Wei regent Sima Shi in suppressing the revolt. After the rebellion, the Wei government put him in charge of Shouchun. As the Sima clan became more powerful and established themselves as the de facto rulers of Wei, Zhuge Dan feared that he would end up slain like Wang Ling and Guanqiu Jian – the leaders of the first two rebellions – so he started the third rebellion against Sima Zhao, who succeeded Sima Shi as regent of Wei in 255. Although he received some support from Wei's rival state Eastern Wu, his rebellion was eventually suppressed by Wei imperial forces and he met his end at the hands of Hu Fen, a military officer under Sima Zhao.
Zhuge in Chinese, Jegal in Korean, Gia Cát in Vietnamese or Morokuzu in Japanese is a compound surname in East Asia. It is ranked 314th in Hundred Family Surnames in China. The surname has often been synonymous with wisdom in Chinese culture, due to the fame of Zhuge Liang. It originated from a branch of the Ge family, who added a character to their name.
The Battle of Wuzhang Plains was fought between the contending states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 234 AD during the Three Kingdoms period of China. The battle was the fifth and last of a series of Northern Expeditions led by Shu's chancellor, Zhuge Liang, to attack Wei. Zhuge Liang fell ill and died during the stalemate and subsequently the Shu forces retreated.
The Hundred Family Surnames, commonly known as Bai Jia Xing, also translated as Hundreds of Chinese Surnames, is a classic Chinese text composed of common Chinese surnames. An unknown author compiled the book during the Song dynasty (960–1279). The book lists 507 surnames. Of these, 441 are single-character surnames and 66 are double-character surnames. About 800 names have been derived from the original ones.
Ou is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surnames 區 and 歐, which share a common origin with the compound surname Ouyang (歐陽), from the ruling family of the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period. They are commonly romanized as Au or Ao in Cantonese.
Tong is a Chinese surname. Tong as transcribed in English however represents of a number of different Chinese surnames.
Wāng (汪) is a Chinese surname. It was 104th of the Hundred Family Surnames poem, contained in the verse Yáo, Shào, Zhàn, Wāng (姚邵湛汪). In 2013, the Fuxi Cultural Association found the name to be the 60th most common in China, being shared by around 4.83 million people or 0.360% of the population, with the province with the largest population being Anhui. Another study found it to be the 58th-most-common surname in mainland China.
Sima Yi (179–251) was a general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei (220–266) in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) in China. Two of his sons, Sima Shi (208–255) and Sima Zhao (211–265), rose to power in the 250s and consecutively served as regents throughout the reigns of the last three Wei emperors. After Sima Zhao died in September 265, his son Sima Yan (236–290) forced the last Wei ruler, Cao Huan (246–303), to abdicate the throne in his favour in February 266, ending the Wei regime and establishing the Jin dynasty (266–420). This article contains the family trees of Sima Yi, his brothers, and their descendants up to Sima Yan's generation. For more details on the family trees of the Jin emperors, see Chinese emperors family tree (early)#Jin Dynasty and Chu.
Situ (司徒) is one of the more common surviving Chinese compound surnames. It is also spelled in Wade–Giles as Ssŭtu or in the Mathews system as Szŭtu, and romanised from Cantonese as Szeto, Seto, or Sitou, or from Taishanese as Soohoo. It originates from the ancient Chinese title Situ, which can be translated as "Minister over the Masses". The surname is common in Guangdong province, particularly around Kaiping.
Ge is a surname of Chinese origin. One branch of the family became the compound surname Zhuge. In 2013 it was found to be the 110th most common surname, composed of 1.95 million people or 0.150% of the total national population, with the province with the largest population being Jiangsu. It is the 44th name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.