There are currently about 3,000 surnames in use in China, and there are about 300 common surnames. The top 100 surnames have a population of about 1.1 billion, accounting for about 87% of the country's total population. %, is the main surname in China. The origins of hundreds of Chinese surnames are profound, famous people have emerged in large numbers, there is no shortage of people in every generation, and history is endless.
Wang surname
The surname Wang is the most common surname in contemporary China, with a population of over 100 million. Most kings in the world have the surname of King Ling, Prince Jin of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, as their ancestor. There are also those who changed their surname to Wang after the royal family. For example, the descendants of Huangdi, Yushun and the kings of Shang and Zhou Dynasty took the surname of Wang. Many ethnic minorities who settled in the Central Plains also changed their surname to Wang. Wang surname. The counties with the surname Wang include Taiyuan, Langye, Beihai, Chenliu, Dongping, Gaoping, Jingzhao, Tianshui, Dongping, Xincai, Xinye, Shanyang, Zhongshan, Zhangwu, Donglai, Hedong, Jincheng, Guanghan, and Tangyi , Henan, Bisha and other branches. Historical celebrities named Wang include: Qin generals Wang Jian and Wang Li; New Dynasty emperor Wang Mang; Eastern Han Dynasty Prime Minister Wang Yun, philosopher Wang Chong, scholar Wang Fu, poet Wang Can; Eastern Jin Dynasty Prime Minister Wang Dao, calligraphers Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi; former Qin Prime Minister Wang Meng; poets Wang Wei and Wang Zhihuan of the Tang Dynasty; Prime Minister Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty; famous Taoist Wang Chongyang of the Jin Dynasty; dramatist Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty; philosopher Wang Shouren and scholar Wang Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty; thinker Wang Fuzhi of the Qing Dynasty; scholars Wang Mingsheng, Wang Xianqian, and Wang Niansun. In modern times, there are celebrities such as Wang Tao, Wang Guowei, Wang Yanan, and Wang Jiaxiang.
Li surname
The surname Li is the second most common surname in contemporary China. According to legend, its ancestor Gaotao was a descendant of Zhuanxu, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor. Gaotao once served as the "Dali" official of Tang Yao, so he took his official position as his surname and was called "Li". During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, he changed his surname to Li. In the Tang Dynasty, the surname Li was Darong. Xu, Bing, Dong, An, Ru, Adiao, Guo, Xianyu, Wang, Zhang, Du, Hu, Hong, Ma, Luo and other surnames were all given the surname Li. Some surnames He even pretended to be surnamed Li. The county surnamed Li hopes to have Longxi, Zhaojun and other branches. Historical celebrities named Li include: Li Er, a thinker in the Spring and Autumn Period; Li Kui, the prime minister of Wei, Li Bing, the governor of Shu in Qin, and Li Mu, the general of Zhao; Li Si, the prime minister of the Qin Dynasty; Li Guang, the general of the Western Han Dynasty; Li Chun, the craftsman of the Sui Dynasty; Li Yuan, Li Shimin, and Li Shimin, the emperors of the Tang Dynasty Longji, Prime Minister Li Jifu, generals Li Jing, Li Xun, Li Guangbi, scholars Li Yanshou, Li Baiyao, poets Li Bai, Li He, Li Shangyin; Emperor Li Yu of the Southern Tang Dynasty; Emperor Li Yuanwu of the Western Xia Dynasty; Scholar Li Xinchuan of the Northern Song Dynasty; Li Qingzhao, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty; Ming Dynasty Writers Li Dongyang, Li Mengyang, and medical scientist Li Shizhen. In modern times, there are celebrities such as Li Hongzhang, Li Dazhao, Li Lisan, Li Gongpu, Li Zongren, Li Shutong, and Li Siguang.
The surname Zhang
The surname Zhang is the third most common surname in contemporary China. It is said that it comes from the descendants of Hui, the fifth son of the Yellow Emperor. Because of his ability to invent bows and arrows, he was appointed as the "Gongzheng" officer. Gongzheng also means the length of the bow, which is combined into the character "Zhang", and later generations took this as their surname. The counties with the surname Zhang include Qinghe, Nanyang, Wujun, Anding, Dunhuang, Wuwei, Fanyang, Qianwei, Peiguo, Liangguo, Zhongshan, Jijun, Hanoi, Gaoping, Bairen, Jinjian and other branches. Historical celebrities named Zhang include: Zhang Yi, the strategist of the Warring States; Zhang Liang, the counselor and Zhang Qian, the envoy of the Western Han Dynasty; Zhang Heng, the scientist, Zhang Zhongjing, the famous doctor, and Zhang Daoling, the famous Taoist of the Eastern Han Dynasty; Zhang Fei, the general of the Shu Han Dynasty, Zhang Liao and Zhang He, the generals of the Cao Wei Dynasty; Zhang Senggun, the painter of the Southern Liang Dynasty ; Prime Ministers Zhang Shuo and Zhang Jiuling of the Tang Dynasty, poets Zhang Ji, Zhang Ruoxu, and calligrapher Zhang Xu; Northern Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan; Ming Dynasty academicians Zhang Juzheng and famous Taoist Zhang Sanfeng; Qing Dynasty academicians Zhang Yushu, Zhang Tingyu, and scholar Zhang Shu. In modern times, there are celebrities such as Zhang Zhidong, Zhang Zuolin, Zhang Xueliang, Zhang Wentian, Zhang Yuanji, Zhang Zizhong, Zhang Zhizhong, and Zhang Daqian.
The surname Liu
The surname Liu is the fourth most common surname in contemporary China. It is said that they are mainly descendants of the Tao Tang family. They were named Liu because they were named Liu. The Han Dynasty gave Lou, Xiang and others the surname Liu. The descendants of the Xiongnu Chanyu and the Dugu clan of various Tu tribes also adopted the surname or changed their surname to Liu. Counties with the surname Liu include Pengcheng, Peiguo, Hongnong, Hejian, Zhongshan, Liangjun, Dunqiu, Nanyang, Dongping, Gaomi, Jingling, Changsha, Guangping, Gaoping, Dongguan, Gaotang, Linhuai and Langye , Donghai, Nanjun, Fanyang, Donglai, Danyang, Wugong, Puyang, Weishi, Jiyin, Jingzhao, Luling, Nankang, Qiaojun, Henan and other branches. Historical celebrities with the surname Liu include: Emperors Liu Bang and Liu Che of the Western Han Dynasty, Confucian scholars Liu Xiang and Liu Xin; Emperors Liu Xiu and Liu Xie of the Eastern Han Dynasty; Emperor Liu Bei of the Shu Han Dynasty; Emperor Liu Yuan of the former Zhao Dynasty; Emperor Liu Yu of the Liu Song Dynasty, and King Liu Yiqing of Linchuan; The Liang Dynasty literary theorist Liu Xie; Tang Dynasty scholar Liu Zhiji, poets Liu Changqing and Liu Yuxi; Northern Han emperor Liu Man, Southern Han emperor Liu Gong; Northern Song scholars Liu San and Liu Shu; Southern Song poet Liu Kezhuang; Ming Dynasty counselor Liu Bowen and scholar Liu Zongzhou; Qing Dynasty counselor Liu Bowen and scholar Liu Zongzhou; The modern scholar Liu Xianting, the calligrapher Liu Yong, and the litterateur Liu E.
In modern times, there are celebrities such as Liu Kunyi, Liu Zhidan, Liu Shipei, Liu Dabai, Liu Tianhua, Liu Bannong, Liu Haisu, Liu Dajie, and Liu Baiyu.
The surname Chen
The surname Chen is the fifth most common surname in contemporary China. It is said that it comes from the surname Yao, a descendant of Hu Gongman, the grandson of Emperor Shun. King Wu of the Western Zhou Dynasty granted Duke Hu the title of Man of Chen. Duke Hu was therefore called Duke Hu of Chen. The Fang Kingdom he founded was also called Chen State, and his descendants took the name of the country as their surname. In addition, there were Gao surnames in the Jin Dynasty, Hou Mo Chen in the Northern Wei Dynasty, Bo surnames and Cao surnames in the Tang Dynasty, Gao surnames in the Yuan Dynasty, and descendants of the Li Dynasty and Hu people from the Western Regions in the Ming Dynasty who changed their surnames or assumed the surname Chen. The county surnamed Chen has branches such as Yingchuan, Jiangzhou, Runan, Xiapi, Guangling and Henan. Historical celebrities with the surname Chen include: Eastern Han poet Chen Lin; Western Jin scholar Chen Shou; Chen emperors Chen Baxian and Chen Shubao; Tang Dynasty poet Chen Ziang; Northern Song poet Chen Shidao and phonologist Chen Pengnian; Southern Song thinker Chen Liang and bibliophile Chen Zhensun; Ming Dynasty scholars Chen Bangzhan, writer Chen Zilong. In modern times, there are celebrities such as Chen Qiyuan, Chen Baozhen, Chen Tianhua, Chen Duxiu, Chen Bulei, Chen Lifu, Chen Guofu, Chen Cheng, Chen Wangdao, Chen Yi, Chen Geng, Chen Jiageng, Chen Yuan, Chen Yinque, Chen Jingrun and other celebrities.
The surname Yang
The surname Yang is the sixth most common surname in contemporary China. It is said that it comes from Tang Shuyu, a Duke of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Tang Shuyu was granted the title of Jin, and his descendants include the Yangzi family and the Yang family. At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Liuqing Rebellion occurred in the Jin Kingdom. The descendants of the Yang family fled south to the Fairy Valley of Huashan Mountain and settled as Hongnong Huayin people. They were the largest tribe with the Yang surname for later generations. In addition to Hongnong Huayin, Yang's County Wang also has Tianshui, Sizhi, Qixia and other branches. Historical celebrities named Yang include: Warring States thinker Yang Zhu; Sui Dynasty emperors Yang Jian, Yang Guang, and important minister Yang Su; Tang Dynasty prime minister Yang Yan and poet Yang Jiong; Wu Emperor Yang Xingmi; Northern Song Dynasty generals Yang Ye, Yang Yanzhao, Yang Wenguang, and scholar Yang Shi , the writer Yang Yi; the poet Yang Wanli of the Southern Song Dynasty; the important officials of the Ming Dynasty Yang Pu, Yang Rong, Yang Shiqi, Yang Yiqing, the writer Yang Shen; the scholar Yang Shoujing of the Qing Dynasty. In modern times, there are celebrities such as Yang Rui, Yang Shenxiu, Yang Xing, Yang Xingfo, Yang Hucheng, Yang Jingyu, Yang Xiaolou, Yang Kaihui, Yang Xiaoyan, Yang Dezhi, Yang Chengwu, Yang Shuda, Yang Shuo, Yang Zhenning, and Yang Liwei.
The surname Zhao
The surname Zhao is the seventh most common surname in contemporary China. It is said that it comes from the Ying tribe of Shaohao. Sun Zaofu, a young Wu descendant, had meritorious service as a chariot for King Mu of Zhou, and was given the city of Zhao as a food town. His descendants have lived in Zhaocheng for generations, and their surnames are named after the food towns. After the Qin Dynasty destroyed the State of Zhao, the people of the Zhao family were divided into three branches: Handan, Dongwucheng and Tianshui. By the Song Dynasty, the largest clans with the Zhao surname were the Zhao family in Zhuojun and the Zhao family in Tianshui. In addition to Zhuojun and Tianshui, the county surnamed Zhao also has branches such as Nanyang, Jincheng, Xiapi and Yingchuan. Historical celebrities named Zhao include: Zhao She and Zhao Kuo, the generals of the State of Zhao; Zhao Gao, an important official of the Qin Dynasty; Zhao Feiyan, the queen of the Western Han Dynasty, Zhao Chongguo, the agriculturist Zhao Guo; Zhao Qi, the scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Zhao Yi, the writer; Zhao Yun, the general of the Shu Han Dynasty; Zhao Kuangyin, the emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty , Zhao Ji, Prime Minister Zhao Pu; Southern Song Dynasty Emperor Zhao Gou, scholar Zhao Mingcheng; Yuan Dynasty calligrapher and painter Zhao Mengyi; Qing Dynasty scholar Zhao Yi, writer Zhao Zhixin. In modern times, there are celebrities such as Zhao Jiuzhang, Zhao Shiyan, Zhao Shangzhi, Zhao Shuli, Zhao Puchu, Zhao Dan, and Zhao Zi/.