Chinese Last Names: 100 Common Surnames and Their Meanings

From the ancient state of Xu.

Also spelled: Hsu, Tsui, Chee

Means "grandson". Sun Tzu of The Art of War carried it.

Also spelled: Suen, Sun

Means "horse".

Also spelled: Ma, Mah

Means "vermilion". The imperial family name of the Ming dynasty.

Also spelled: Chu, Choo

Historically also used for peoples of the northern steppe.

Also spelled: Hu, Woo, Oh

Means the outer wall of a city.

Also spelled: Kwok, Kuo, Quek

Traditionally said to branch from the Han (韩) clan.

Also spelled: Ho, Hoe

Means "forest". Very common in Fujian and Taiwan.

Also spelled: Lam, Lim, Lin

Means "tall, high".

Also spelled: Kao, Ko, Koh

Means a bird-catching net.

Also spelled: Lo, Law, Loh

From the ancient state of Zheng.

Also spelled: Cheng, Cheang, Tay

Means "roof beam" or "bridge".

Also spelled: Leung, Liang, Neo

The same character as "thank you" (谢谢).

Also spelled: Tse, Hsieh, Chia

Shares its name with the Song dynasty.

Also spelled: Sung, Soong

Shares its name with the Tang dynasty.

Also spelled: Tong, Tang

From the ancient state of Xu (许).

Also spelled: Hui, Hsu, Koh

From the Warring States kingdom of Han (韩).

Also spelled: Hon, Han

Written with the "horse" component.

Also spelled: Fung, Feng

Deng Xiaoping carried this surname.

Also spelled: Tang, Teng

Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms is the best-known bearer.

Also spelled: Tso, Chao

Pictures the sound of a drum.

Also spelled: Pang, Phang

As a surname it is read zēng, not céng as in 曾经.

Also spelled: Tsang, Chan, Tseng

Also commonly written 肖 in mainland China.

Also spelled: Siu, Hsiao, Seow

Means "farm field".

Also spelled: Tin, Tien

Means "to supervise".

Also spelled: Tung, Tong

Pictures a long robe.

Also spelled: Yuen, Yuan

Contains the "water" radical.

Also spelled: Poon, Phua

Chiang Kai-shek carried this surname.

Also spelled: Chiang, Cheung

From the ancient state of Cai.

Also spelled: Choi, Tsai, Chua

Means "leaf".

Also spelled: Yip, Yap, Yeh

The poet Su Shi (Su Dongpo) carried this surname.

Also spelled: So, Soo

Written with the vowel ü; pinyin can be typed "lv" on keyboards.

Also spelled: Lui, Lu, Lü

As a surname it is read rén, not rèn.

Also spelled: Yam, Jen

Basketball player Yao Ming carries this surname.

Also spelled: Yiu, Yao

Also an everyday word meaning "at, in".

Also spelled: Yu, Yue

In classical Chinese it means "I".

Also spelled: Yu, Yee, Ee

The Tang poet Du Fu carried this surname.

Also spelled: Du, To, Toh

Means "journey" or "rule". The philosophers Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi carried it.

Also spelled: Cheng, Ching

Shares its name with the state of Wei in the Warring States and Three Kingdoms eras.

Also spelled: Wei, Ngai

One of the simplest characters, with just two strokes.

Also spelled: Ting, Ding

As a surname it is read shěn.

Also spelled: Shum, Sim, Shen

One of the oldest surnames, linked to the legendary Emperor Yan.

Also spelled: Keung, Kiang, Chiang

The Song statesman Fan Zhongyan carried this surname.

Also spelled: Fan, Faan, Huan

Means "tutor" or "teacher".

Also spelled: Fu, Foo, Poh

Means "bell" or "clock".

Also spelled: Chung, Chong

Traditionally written 盧.

Also spelled: Lo, Lou, Loh

Means "a vast expanse of water".

Also spelled: Wong, Ong, Wang

Means "to wear" or "to respect".

Also spelled: Tai, Dai, Tay

Also a common Korean surname, usually spelled Choi.

Also spelled: Tsui, Chui, Choi

Means "land". The Song poet Lu You carried it.

Also spelled: Luk, Lu, Look

Especially common in Taiwan and Guangdong.

Also spelled: Liu, Liao, Leow

Means "square" or "direction".

Also spelled: Fong, Fang, Png

Means "gold". Also the most common Korean surname, Kim.

Also spelled: Kam, Chin, Kim

Means "hill"; an older form is 丘.

Also spelled: Yau, Chiu, Khoo, Hiew

Means "summer" and shares its name with the Xia dynasty.

Also spelled: Ha, Hsia

Very common in Guangdong, where it is spelled Tam.

Also spelled: Tam, Tan, Tham

Common among the Zhuang people of Guangxi.

Also spelled: Wai, Wei

The family at the heart of Dream of the Red Chamber.

Also spelled: Ka, Chia, Jia

From the ancient state of Zou, home of Mencius.

Also spelled: Chau, Chow, Tsou

Means "stone".

Also spelled: Shek, Shih, Sek

Means "bear".

Also spelled: Hung, Hsiung, Heng

Mencius (Meng Zi) carried this surname.

Also spelled: Mang, Meng

Shares its name with the Qin dynasty, China’s first empire.

Also spelled: Chun, Chin

Also written 闫 in mainland China.

Also spelled: Yim, Yen

From the ancient state of Xue.

Also spelled: Sit, Hsueh, Seet

Means "marquis", a noble rank.

Also spelled: Hau, Hou, Hor

Means "thunder".

Also spelled: Lui, Lei, Louie

Means "white". The Tang poet Bai Juyi carried it.

Also spelled: Pak, Pai, Peh

Means "dragon".

Also spelled: Lung, Loong

The Dali kingdom in Yunnan was ruled by the Duan family.

Also spelled: Tuen, Tuan

Sounds the same as 好 (hǎo), "good".

Also spelled: Kok, Hao

Confucius (Kong Qiu) carried this surname.

Also spelled: Hung, Kong, Khong

Film producer Run Run Shaw (邵逸夫) carried this surname.

Also spelled: Siu, Shao, Shaw

Means "history" or "historian".

Also spelled: Sze, Shih, See

Means "hair" or "fur".

Also spelled: Mo, Mao

Means "constant" or "often".

Also spelled: Sheung, Chang

Means "ten thousand".

Also spelled: Man, Wan, Ban

Means "to look after". The diplomat Wellington Koo carried it.

Also spelled: Koo, Ku

Common among Hakka families.

Also spelled: Lai, Lye

Means "martial". Wu Zetian, China’s only reigning empress, carried it.

Also spelled: Mo, Wu

Means "health" or "peace".

Also spelled: Hong, Kang

Means "to congratulate".

Also spelled: Ho, Hor

Means "strict".

Also spelled: Yim, Yen, Giam

Also a Korean surname, usually spelled Yoon.

Also spelled: Wan, Yin, Yoon

Means "money"; second in the classic Hundred Family Surnames.

Also spelled: Chin, Chien

Means "to bestow".

Also spelled: Sze, Shih, See