This is a list of submitted surnames in which the usage is Chinese; and the source is Location.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Ai艾Chinese From Chinese 艾 (ài) referring to the ancient state of Ai, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Jiangxi province. Alternately it may be derived from the name of Xia dynasty official Ru Ai (汝艾) or Ai Kong (艾孔), a minister from the state of Qi.
BaChinese Chinese from the name of the kingdom of Ba, which existed in Sichuan during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Descendants of some of the ruling class adopted the name of the kingdom as their surname... [more]
Bao鲍, 鮑Chinese From Chinese 鲍 (bào) referring to an area called Bao that existed in the Qi state during the Zhou dynasty.
Bei贝, 貝Chinese From Chinese 贝 (bèi) referring to the ancient fief of Bei, which was part of the state of Jin during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hebei province.
Bi毕, 畢Chinese From Chinese 毕 (bì) referring to the ancient fief of Bi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
Bian卞Chinese From Chinese 卞 (biàn) referring to the ancient fief of Bian, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Bian边, 邊Chinese From Chinese 边 (biān) referring to the ancient state of Bian, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Cen岑Chinese From Chinese 岑 (cén) referring to the ancient fief of Cen, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
Chai翟Chinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 翟 (see Zhai).
Dongfang东方, 東方Chinese From Chinese 東方 (dōngfāng) meaning "east".
Duan段Chinese From Chinese 段 (duàn) referring to the ancient fief of Duan Gan (段干).
Fang方Chinese From Chinese 方 (fāng) referring to Fang Shu, a minister and adviser to King Xuan of the Western Zhou dynasty. Alternately it may have come from a place called Fang Shan (方山), which existed in what is now Henan province.
Fang房Chinese From Chinese 房 (fáng) referring to the ancient state of Fang, which existed in what is now Henan province.
Fei费, 費Chinese From Chinese 费 (fèi) referring to the ancient state of Fei, which existed during the Xia and Zhou dynasties in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from Feiyi (費邑), the name of a fief that existed in the state of Lu (during the Zhou dynasty) in what is now Shandong province.
Fu傅Chinese From Chinese 傅 (fù) meaning "teacher, instructor", also referring to an ancient place named Fu Yan (傅岩) possibly located in what is now Shanxi province. It could also come from the name of the ancient fief of Fu, which existed during the Western Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Geng耿Chinese From Chinese 耿 (gěng) referring to the ancient city of Geng, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Henan province. Alternately it may come from the name of an ancient state that existed during the Spring and Autumn period in present-day Shanxi province.
Gong龚, 龔Chinese From Chinese 龚 (gōng) referring to the ancient state of Gong (written as 共), which existed during the Shang dynasty possibly in what is now Henan province. This name was adopted in place of 共 by future descendants to flee persecution.
Gong恭Chinese From Chinese 恭 (gōng) referring to the ancient state of Gong, which existed in what is now Gansu province.
Gu顾, 顧Chinese From Chinese 顾 (gù) referring to the ancient state of Gu, which existed during the Xia dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Gu谷Chinese From Chinese 谷 (gǔ) referring to the ancient fief of Qin Gu, which existed in what is now the province of either Gansu or Shaanxi. Alternately it may come from the name of the fief of Jia Gu, which was part of the state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty.
Gu古Chinese From Chinese 古 (gǔ) possibly derived from Kucheng (古成 or 苦城), the name of an ancient fief that may have existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province... [more]
Guan管Chinese From Chinese 管 (guǎn) meaning "administer, manage, control", also referring to the ancient state of Guan that existed in what is now Henan province.
Gui桂Chinese From Chinese 桂 (guì) referring to the ancient state of Gui, which existed during the Han dynasty in what is now Guangxi province.
Gui归, 歸Chinese From Chinese 归 (guī) referring to the ancient state of Gui, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Anhui province.
Hao郝Chinese From Chinese 郝 (hǎo) referring to the ancient fief of Hao, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shanxi province.
Huo霍Chinese From Chinese 霍 (huò) referring to the ancient state of Huo, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the city of Huozhou in Shanxi province.
Ji纪, 紀Chinese From Chinese 纪 (jì) referring to the ancient state of Ji, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Jia甲Chinese From Chinese 甲 (jiǎ) meaning "one, first", also referring to an ancient fief or small state named Jia located in what is now either Henan or Hebei province.
Jia贾, 賈Chinese From Chinese 贾 (jiǎ) referring to an ancient state and fief named Jia, both located in what is now Shanxi province.
Jiang蒋, 蔣Chinese From Chinese 蒋 (jiǎng) referring to the ancient state of Jiang, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Jiao焦Chinese From Chinese 焦 (jiāo) referring to the ancient state of Jiao, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the provinces of Shaanxi and Henan.
Kang康Chinese, Korean From Chinese 康 (kāng), derived from Kangju (康居), the Chinese name for an ancient kingdom in Central Asia (now known as Sogdiana). It may also refer to the city of Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan, which was called 康 in Chinese.
KhooChinese (Hokkien) Hokkien spellig of the surname Qiu. This Means a person who lived near a mound, dune or hill. This spelling is found amongst Hokkien and Hakka families in Southeast Asia
Kung龚, 龔Chinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 龚 (see Gong).
Kuo郭Taiwanese Alternate transcription of Guo chiefly used in Taiwan.
Kuyeng鄺, 邝Chinese (Russified) Russified form of Kuang used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union (based on the Cantonese romanization of the name).
Kvon鄺, 邝Chinese (Russified) Russified form of Kuang used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union (based on the Cantonese romanization of the name).
Lai赖, 賴Chinese From Chinese 赖 (lài) meaning "rely", also referring to the ancient state of Lai that existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Lan蓝, 藍Chinese From Chinese 蓝 (lán) referring to a place called Lantian that existed in what is now Shaanxi province.
Lou娄, 婁Chinese From Chinese 娄 (lóu) referring to the 16th constellation of the Twenty-Eight Mansions in traditional Chinese astronomy. It may also refer to the ancient state of Zhu Lou, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province, or the ancient fief of Lou, which existed in the ancient state of Chu in present-day Shandong province.
Lu陆, 陸Chinese From Chinese 陆 (lù) referring to the ancient territory of Lu, which existed in the state of Qi in what is now Shandong province. Alternately, it may be from 陸渾 (Lù Hún), the name of an ancient nomadic tribe that established a state in the area that is now Henan province.
Lu鲁, 魯Chinese From Chinese 鲁 (lǔ) referring to the ancient state of Lu, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Mao毛Chinese From Chinese 毛 (máo) referring to the ancient region of Mao, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the Henan province. A notable bearer of this surname was Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong (1893-1976).
Miao苗Chinese From Chinese 苗 (miáo) meaning "seedling, shoot, sprout", also referring to the ancient fief of Miao, which existed in the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Mou牟Chinese From Chinese 牟 (móu) referring to the ancient state of Mou that existed during the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 BC).
Ni倪Chinese From Chinese 倪 (ní) referring to the ancient territory of Ni, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the Shandong province.
Nie聂, 聶Chinese From Chinese 聂 (niè) referring to either of two ancient fiefs named Nie. One existed in the state of Wei (Wey) in what is now Henan province, while the other was part of the state of Qi in what is now Shandong province.
Nieh聂, 聶Chinese Alternate transcription of Chinese 聂 (see Nie).
Ning宁, 寧Chinese From Chinese 宁 (níng) meaning "peaceful, tranquil", also referring to the ancient county of Ningyi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Ou欧, 歐Chinese From Chinese 欧 (ōu) referring to Mount Sheng in present-day Huzhou, China. According to legend, this name (along with the compound name Ouyang containing this character) was adopted by the descendants of a prince from the Yue state who settled in the area around the mountain.
Ouyang欧阳, 歐陽Chinese From Chinese 歐 (ōu) referring to Mount Sheng in present-day Huzhou, China, combined with 陽 (yáng) meaning "southern face (of a mountain)". The name supposedly originated with a prince of the Yue state that settled in the area surrounding the mountain... [more]
Pang庞, 龐Chinese From Chinese 庞 (páng) referring to the ancient fief of Pang located in what is now either Henan or Shaanxi province.
Qiao乔, 喬Chinese From Chinese 乔 (qiáo) referring to Qiao Shan, a mountain in present-day Shaanxi province where the legendary king Huang Di was supposedly buried.
Qin秦Chinese From Chinese 秦 (qín) referring to the ancient state of Qin, which existed from 221 BC to 206 BC in what is now the Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.
Qiu邱, 丘Chinese From Chinese 邱 or 丘 (qiū) referring to a place called Yingqiu that existed in the state of Qi in what is now Shandong province. The name was originally written with the character 丘 until its usage was prohibited during the Qing dynasty in order to avoid a taboo caused by using the character of Confucius's given name, 丘... [more]
Qu屈Chinese From Chinese 屈 (qū) meaning "bent, crooked", also referring to the ancient fief of Qu, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hubei province.
Qu瞿Chinese From Chinese 瞿 (qú) meaning "halberd", also possibly referring to an ancient state or fief named Qu (present-day location unknown) that existed during the Shang dynasty.
Qu曲Chinese The surname Qu has several sources. One of the main origins is from the ancient state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period. There was an official position named "Qu Ren" responsible for managing the brewing of wine in Jin... [more]
Qu曲Chinese The surname Qu(曲)has several sources. One of the main origins is from the ancient state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period. There was an official position named "Qu Ren" responsible for managing the brewing of wine in Jin... [more]
Quan权, 權Chinese From Chinese 权 (quán) referring to the ancient state of Quan, which existed during the Shang and Zhou dynasties in what is now Hubei province.
Sang桑Chinese From Chinese 桑 (sāng) referring either to the ancient city of Qiong Sang, which existed in what is now Shandong province, or the ancient state of Sang, which existed in what is now Henan province and was annexed by the state of Qin.
Sha沙Chinese From Chinese 沙 (shā) referring to the ancient state of Sha, which was part of the state of Song during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Hebei province. Alternately it may come from Sha Sui, the name of a fief that was part of Song in what is now Henan province, or from Su Sha, the name of an ancient clan that inhabited parts of present-day Shandong province.
Shan山Chinese From the place name Shan. Cheng Wang, the second king (1115–1079 bc) of the Zhou dynasty, granted to a son the area of Shan, and the son’s descendants adopted the place name as their surname. It comes from the Chinese word meaning "mountain"... [more]
Shan单, 單Chinese From Chinese 单 (shàn) referring to the ancient state of Shan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Shao邵Chinese From Chinese 邵 (shào) referring to the ancient fief of Zhao, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province. The name of the fief, 召, had the same pronunciation as the character 邵.
Shao韶Chinese From Chinese 韶 (sháo) possibly referring to the ancient town of Shao that existed during the Sui dynasty in what is now Guangdong province.
Shen沈, 瀋Chinese From Chinese 沈 (shěn) referring to the ancient state of Shen, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now the Henan province.
Sheng盛Chinese From Chinese 盛 (shèng) meaning "flourishing, prosperous", also referring to the ancient state of Sheng which existed during the Zhou dynasty in present-day Shandong province.
Shi石Chinese From Chinese 石 (shí) meaning "stone", also referring to the ancient city of Chach that is now Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Shi施Chinese From Chinese 施 (shī) referring to the ancient state of Shi, which existed during the Xia dynasty in present-day Hubei province.
Tan谭, 譚Chinese From Chinese 谭 (tán) referring to the state of Tan that existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Tan谈, 談Chinese From Chinese 谈 (tán) referring to the ancient vassal state of Tan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
TsouTaiwanese Tsou is a last name commonly found in Taiwan among its Chinese community. It is the transliteration of a Chinese surname meaning: vassal state during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC) in the southeast of Shandong Province.
Tu屠Chinese From Chinese 屠 (tú) referring either to Zou Tu, an ancient country that may have existed in what is now Shandong province, or the ancient fief of Tu, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
Tu涂Chinese From Chinese 涂 (tú), the old name for the Chu River that runs through the present-day provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu.
Wang汪Chinese From Chinese 汪 (wāng) referring to the ancient state of Wang Mang (汪芒) or Wang Wang (汪罔) in present-day Zhejiang province.
Wei韦, 韋Chinese From Chinese 韦 (wéi) referring to the ancient state of Wei that existed in the pre-Qin period in what is now Henan province.
Wen温, 溫Chinese From Chinese 温 (wēn) meaning "warm", also referring to any of several territories that were called Wen, namely an ancient state that existed during the Zhou dynasty.
Xi习Chinese From Chinese 习 (xí) referring to an ancient territory named Xi, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in the Qin state in what is now Shangxian County, Shaanxi province. A notable berarer is Xi Jinping (1953-), the current president of China.
Xia夏Chinese From Chinese 夏 (xià) referring to the Xia dynasty, the first dynasty in Chinese history that is believed to have existed from 2070 to 1600 BC. According to legend, this name was adopted by the descendants of Yu the Great (who was also known as Xia Yu), a legendary king who supposedly founded the Xia dynasty.
Xiang向Chinese From Chinese 向 (xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Spring and Autumn period in what is now the Shandong province.
Xiang项, 項Chinese From Chinese 项 (xiàng) referring to the ancient state of Xiang, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
XingChinese From the name of an area called Xing, which existed during in the Zhou dynasty (1122–221 bc). Descendants of the ruling family of this area adopted Xing as their surname. Another account of the origin derives it from an area named Pingxing.
Xue薛Chinese From Chinese 薛 (xuē) referring to the ancient state of Xue that existed during the Xia dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
Yan楊, 杨Chinese (Russified) Russified form of Yang used by ethnic Chinese living in parts of the former Soviet Union.
Yan严, 嚴Chinese From Chinese 严 (yán) referring to the ancient fief of Yan Jun (嚴君) that existed in what is now Sichuan province.
Yan阎, 閻Chinese From Chinese 阎 (yán) meaning "gate", also referring to a fief that existed in the ancient state of Jin in what is now Shanxi province.
Yan颜, 顏Chinese From Chinese 颜 (yán) meaning "face, countenance", also referring to the ancient fief of Yan that existed during the Western Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province.
YanqiChinese Yanqi is/ was a county of China. It is also the surname of Mao Yanqi, also known as VAVA.
Yin尹Chinese From Chinese 尹 (yǐn), a title for a ministerial position in ancient China. It may also refer to the ancient fief of Yin, which existed in what is now either Shanxi or Henan province.
Yin殷Chinese From Chinese 殷 (yīn) referring to the ancient city of Yin, which existed in what is now Henan province and served as the capital of the Shang dynasty (which reigned from 1600 to 1045 BC and was also called Yin).
Ying应, 應Chinese From Chinese 应 (yīng) referring to the ancient state of Ying, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Yong雍Chinese From Chinese 雍 (yōng) either referring the ancient state of Yong, located in what is now Henan province, or the ancient fief of Yong, which existed during the Shang dynasty in what is now Shaanxi province.
Yueh岳Taiwanese Alternate romanization of Yue chiefly used in Taiwan.
Zha查Chinese From Chinese 查 (zhā) referring to the ancient fief of Zha, which was part of the state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shandong province. Alternately it may come from the name of a fief that was part of the state of Chu during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Anhui province.
Zhai翟Chinese From Chinese 翟 (zhái) referring to the ancient state of Zhai, which existed during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Shanxi province. The character 翟 was originally read as Di but was later changed to Zhai due to dialectal differences.
Zhan詹Chinese From Chinese 詹 (zhān) referring to the ancient state of Zhan, which existed during the Zhou dynasty (present-day location uncertain).
Zhang章Chinese From Chinese 章 (zhāng) referring to the ancient fiefdom of Zhang (spelled as 鄣), which existed in what is now Shandong province.
Zhong钟, 鍾Chinese From Chinese 钟 (zhōng) referring to the ancient fief of Zhong Li that existed in the state of Chu in what is now Anhui or Hubei province.