Chinese compound surname

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. Lists below are arranged alphabetically by their Mandarin pinyin spellings.

Native Han compound surnames

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!Chinese characters!!Meaning or origin!! Mandarin<br />(Pinyin)!!Cantonese<br />(Jyutping)!!Hokkien<br />(POJ)!!Vietnamese!!Korean!!Japanese!!Notable people

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|百里|||Hundred li||Bǎilǐ|| Baak³ Lei⁵||||Bách Lý||Baengni; Baengri<br/>(백리)||Hyakuri||Baili Xi

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|淳于||An ancient Chinese kingdom||Chúnyú||Seon⁴ Jyu¹||||Thuần Vu||Sunu <br/>(순우)||Jun'u||Chunyu Qiong

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|||The fifth||Dìwǔ||Dai⁶ Ng⁵||||Đệ Ngũ||Jeo <br />(제오)||Daigo||Diwu Qi

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|東方 (东方)||"East", descendants of Fuxi clan according to legend||Dōngfāng||Dung¹ Fong¹||||Đông Phương||Dongbang <br />(동방)||Tōhō||Dongfang Shuo <br />(東方朔)

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| ()||"Eastern Pavilion"||Dōnggé||Dung¹ Gok³||||Đông Các||Donggak <br />(동각)||Tōkaku||

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| ()||"Eastern Wall"||Dōngguō||Dung¹ Gwok³||||Đông Quách||Donggwak <br />(동곽)||Tōkaku||<!--Mr Dongguo <br />(東郭先生)-->

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|東門 (东门)||"East Gate", place of residence, from Zhou dynasty||Dōngmén||Dung¹ Mun⁴||||Đông Môn ||Dongmun <br />(동문)||Tōmon||

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|端木|| ||Duānmù||Dyun¹ Muk⁶||Tuan-bo̍k

|Đoan Mộc||Danmok <br />(단목)||Tanboku||Duanmu Ci <br />(端木賜), <br />San Duanmu

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|<!-- --> ()||||Gaotang||||Kong-sun

|Công Tôn||||||Gaotang Chen, Gaotang

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| ()||"Dukes' descendants", an address of the noble descendants in the Spring and Autumn period||Gōngsūn||Gung¹ Syun¹||Kong-sun

|Công Tôn||Gongson <br />(공손)||Kōson||Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Long

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|公羊||Branch of Gongsun||Gōngyáng||Gung¹ Joeng⁴||Kong-iông

|Công Dương||Gongyang <br />(공양)||Kōyō||Gongyang Gao <br />(公羊高)

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|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 <br />(공야)||Kōya||Gongye Chang <br />(公冶長)

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|公西||||Gōngxī||Gung¹ Sai¹||||Công Tây||Gongseo <br />(공서)||Kōsai||Gongxi Chi <br />(公西赤)

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|毌丘||Place name||Guànqiū||Kwun³ Jau¹||||Quán Khâu||Gwan-gu <br />(관구)||Kankyū||Guanqiu Jian

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|穀梁 (谷梁)||Sorghum grains (?)||Gǔliáng||Guk¹ Loeng⁴||||Cốc Lương||Gongnyang; Gongryang <br />(곡량)||Kokuryō||

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|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 <br />(황보)||Kōfu||Huangfu Song, <br />Huangfu Ran<br/>(皇甫冉)

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|黄斯||||Huangsi||||||Hoàng Tư||||||

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|蘭向(兰向)||||Lanxiang||||||Lan Hướng||||||

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|令狐||Place name||Línghú||Ling⁶ Wu⁴||Lîng-hô·||Lệnh Hồ||Yeongho; Ryeongho<br />(령호)||Reiko||Linghu Chu

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|甪里||Place name||Lùlǐ||Luk⁶ Lei⁵||||Lộ Lý||Nongni; Rongri <br />(록리)||Rokuri||

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|閭丘 (闾丘)||Place name||Lǘqiū||Leoi⁴ Jau¹||||Lư Khâu||Yeogu; Ryeogu <br />(려구)||Ryokyū||Luqiu Luwei <br />(閭丘露薇)

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| (南宫)||Southern Palace||Nángōng||Naam⁴ Gung¹||||Nam Cung||Namgung <br />(남궁)||Nankyū||Nangong Kuo (Western Zhou)

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| (欧阳)||South of Mt. Ou Yu ||Ōuyáng||Au¹Joeng⁴||Au-iông||Âu Dương||Guyang <br />(구양)||Ōyō||Jimmy O. Yang

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|上官||High official (place name)||Shàngguān||Soeng⁶ Gun¹||Siōng-koan||Thượng Quan||Sanggwan <br />(상관)||Shōkan||Empress Shangguan, Shangguan Wan'er, Shangguan Yunxiang

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|申屠||"butcher from Shen"||Shēntú||San¹ Tou⁴||||Thân Đồ||Sindo <br />(신도)||Shinto||Shentu Jian <br />(申屠建)

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|司馬 (司马)||"Master of the Horse" or "Marshal", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han dynasty||Sīmǎ||Si¹ Maa⁵||Su-má||Tư Mã||Sama <br />(사마)||Shiba||Sima Qian, emperors of the Jin dynasty

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|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 <br />(사도)||Shito||Szeto Wah, Sitoh Yih Pin

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|司空||"Minister of Works", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han dynasty||Sīkōng||Si¹ Hung¹||||Tư Không||Sagong <br />(사공)||Shikū||Sikong Ting <br />(司空頲)

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|司寇||"Minister of Justice"||Sīkòu||Si¹ Kau³||||Tư Khấu||Sagu <br />(사구)||Shikō||

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|太史||"Grand Historian", an imperial official title||Tàishǐ||Taai³ Si²||||Thái Sử||Taesa <br />(태사)||Taishi||Taishi Ci

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|澹臺 (澹台)||||Tántái||Taam⁴ Toi⁴||||Đam Đài||Damdae <br />(담대)||Tantai||Tantai Mieming

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|聞人 (闻人)||"famous person", descendants of Shaozheng Mao (少正卯)||Wénrén||Man⁴ Jan⁴||||Văn Nhân||Munin <br />(문인)||Bunjin||

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|巫馬 (巫马)||"Horse"|||Wūmǎ||Ng⁵ Maa⁵||||Vu Mã||Uma <br />(우마))||Goba||Wuma Shi <br />(巫馬施)

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|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 <br />(하후)||Kakō||Xiahou Ying, <br />Xiahou Dun

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|鮮于 (鲜于)||||Xiānyú||Sin¹ Jyu¹||||Tiên Vu||Seonu <br />(선우)||Sen'u||Xianyu Zhongtong <br />(鮮于仲通)

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|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 <br />(서문)||Saimon||Ximen Bao

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| (轩辕)||The (personal) name of the Yellow Emperor||Xuānyuán||Hin¹ Jyun⁴||Hian-oàn

|Hiên Viên||Heonwon <br />(헌원)||Ken'en||Yellow Emperor

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|楊子 (杨子)||A branch of 楊 (Yang)||Yángzǐ||Joeng⁴ Zi²||||Dương Tử||Yangja <br />(양자)||Yōshi||

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|樂正 (乐正)||Minister of music||Yuèzhèng||Ngok⁶ Zing³||||Nhạc Chính||Akjeong <br />(악정)||Gakusei||

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|鍾離 (钟离)||A country in Chunqiu||Zhōnglí||Zung¹ Lei⁴||||Chung Ly||Jongni; Jongri<br />(종리)||Shōri||Zhongli Mu <br />(鐘離牧), <br />Zhongli Mo

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| (诸葛)||A branch of 葛 (Ge)||Zhūgě||Zyu¹ Got³||Chu-kat||Gia Cát <br />(Chư Cát)||Jegal <br />(제갈)||Shokatsu||Jegal Je-min<br />Zhuge Liang

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|祝融||God of Fire||Zhùróng||Zuk¹ Jung⁴||||Chúc Dung||Chugyung <br />(축융)||Shukuyū||Lady Zhurong

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|子車 (子车)||||Zǐjū||Zi² Geoi¹||||Tử Xa||Jageo <br />(자거)||Shikyo||

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|左人||Left-handed man||Zuǒrén||Zo² Jan⁴||||Tả Nhân||Jwa-in <br />(좌인)||Sajin||

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Double-barrelled surnames

Double-barrelled surname () 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 (), which cannot be split into two single-character surnames. A doubled-barrelled surname is also distinguished from a married name (), as married names are not passed down to the next generations.

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!Chinese Characters!! Mandarin<br />(Pinyin)!!Cantonese<br />(Jyutping)!!Hokkien<br />(POJ)!!Vietnamese!!Korean!!Japanese!!Notable People

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|范姜||Fànjiāng ||||Hoān-khiong||Phạm Khương || ||||Fan Chiang Tai-chi

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|陸費 (陆费)||Lùfèi (Lùbì)||Luk⁶ Fai³||||Lục Phí||Yugbi; Ryugbi <br />(륙비)||Rikuhi||Lufei Kui

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|葉劉 (叶刘)||Yèliú |||| Ia̍p-lâu||Diệp Lưu|| ||

|Regina Ip

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|張簡 (张简)||Zhāngjiǎn|| ||Tiuⁿ-kán||Trương Giản|| ||||Louis Ozawa Changchien

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|張廖 (张廖)||Zhāngliào ||||Tiuⁿ-liāu||Trương Liêu || ||

|Chang Liao Wan-chein

(Taiwanese politician)

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Non-Han surnames

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.

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!Chinese Characters!!Meaning/Origin!! Origin!!Mandarin<br />(Pinyin)!!Cantonese<br />(Jyutping)!!Hokkien<br />(POJ)!!Vietnamese!!Korean!!Japanese!!Notable People

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|阿史那||Wolf (cf. Asena)||Possibly Turkic||Āshǐnà||Aa³ Si² Naa⁵||||A Sử Na||Asana <br/>(아사나)||Ashina||Empress Ashina

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| <br />()||Gold||Manchu||Àixīnjuéluó <br />(Aisin Gioro)||Oi³ San¹ Gok³ Lo⁴||Ài-sin-kak-lô

|Ái Tân Giác La||Aesin-gangna; Aesin-gangra <br />(애신각라)||Aishinkakura||Qing rulers

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|孛兒只斤 <br />(孛儿只斤)||Dark blue eyes|||Mongol||Bó'érzhījīn <br />(Borjigin)||But⁶ Ji⁴ Zi² Gan¹||||Bột Nhi Chỉ Cân <br />(Bát Nhĩ Tế Cát Đặc)||Barajigeun <br />(발아지근)||Botsujishikin||Genghis Khan

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|獨孤 (独孤)||||Xianbei||Dúgū||Duk⁶ Gu¹||||Độc Cô||Dokgo <br />(독고)||Dokko/Dokuko||Dugu Qieluo

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|爾朱 (尔朱)||||Xiongnu||Erzhu||Ji⁵ Zyu¹|| ||Nhĩ Chu||Iju <br />(이주)||Jishu||Erzhu Rong, <br />Erzhu Zhao

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|賀蘭 (贺兰)||Helan Mountains||Xianbei||Hèlán||Ho⁶ Laan⁴||||Hạ Lan||Haran <br />(하란)||Garan||Princess Dowager Helan

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| (赫连)||||Xiongnu||Hèlián||Haak¹ Lin⁴||||Hách Liên||Hyeongnyeon; Hyeongryeon <br />(혁련)||Kakuren||Helian Bobo

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|賀若 (贺若)||||Xianbei||Hèruò||Ho⁶ Joek⁶||||Hạ Nhược||Hayak <br />(하약)||Kajaku||Heruo Bi <br />(賀若弼)

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|赫舍里 ||Water spring||Manchu||Hèsheli||Haak¹ Se² Lei⁵||||Hách Xá Lý||Hyeoksari <br />(혁사리)||Kakushari||Hešeri Sonin, Empress Xiaochengren, Songgotu

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|万俟||||Xianbei||Mòqí||Mak⁶ Kei⁴||||Mặc Kỳ||Mukgi <br />(묵기)||Bokuji||Moqi Chounu <br />(万俟醜奴)

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|慕容||||Xianbei||Mùróng||Mou⁶ Jung⁴||Bō·-iông

|Mộ Dung||Moyong <br />(모용)||Boyū||Murong Huang

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| (纳兰)||Variant of 叶赫那拉 (Yehenala)||Manchu||Nàlán||Naap⁶ Laan⁴||||Nạp Lan||Namnan; Namran <br />(납란)||Nōran||Nalan Xingde

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|星團 (星团)||Band/group/cluster of stars|| ||Xīngtuán||Sing¹ Tyun⁴|||| ||Shindan<br />(신단) ||Seidan||

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|呼延||||Xiongnu||Hūyán||Fu¹ Jin⁴||||Hô Diên||Hoyeon <br />(호연)||Koen||Empress Huyan, <br />Huyan Zan

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|沙吒||||Göktürk||Shāzhā||Saa¹ Zaa¹||||Sa Tra||Sata <br />(사타)||Sata||Shazha Zhongyi <br />(沙吒忠義)

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|拓跋|| ||Xianbei||Tuòbá||Tok³ Bat⁶||||Thác Bạt||Takbal <br />(탁발)||Takubatsu||Emperors of Northern Wei, formerly surname of Tangut rulers, Western Xia

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|完顏 (完颜)||||Jurchen||Wányán||Jyun⁴ Ngaan⁴||||Hoàn Nhan||Wanan <br />(완안)||Kangan||Wanyan Aguda

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|耶律|| ||Khitan||Yēlǜ||Ye⁴ Leut⁶||||Da Luật <br />(Gia Luật)|| Yayul <br />(야율)||Yaritsu/Jaritsu||Emperors of Liao dynasty, <br />Yelü Chucai

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| (尉迟)||||Xianbei or Khotan||Yùchí||Wat¹ Ci⁴||||Uất Trì <br />(Úy Trì)||Ulji <br />(울지)||Utchi/Utsuchi||Yuchi Jingde, <br />Yuchi Jiong

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|宇文||||Xianbei||Yǔwén||Jyu⁵ Man⁴||||Vũ Văn||Umun <br />(우문)||Ubun||Yuwen Tai, emperors of Northern Zhou

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| (长孙)||Eldest grandson||Xianbei||Zhǎngsūn||Zoeng² Syun¹||||Trưởng Tôn||Jangson <br />(장손)||Chōson||Zhangsun Wuji, Empress Zhangsun (wife of Emperor Taizong of Tang)

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|山口||Gateway/opening of the mountain||Japanese||Shānkǒu||San¹ Hau²||Soaⁿ-kháu||Sơn Khẩu||Sangu<br/>(산구)||Yamaguchi||Yoshiko Yamaguchi (Shānkǒu Shūzǐ)

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|川島||River on the island||Japanese||Chuāndǎo||Cyun¹ Dou²||Chhoan-tó||Đảo Xuyên||Cheondo<br/>(천도)||Kawashima||Yoshiko Kawashima (Chuāndǎo Fāngzi)

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|伊達||Elegance||Japanese||Yīdá||Ji¹ Daat⁶||I-ta̍t||Y Đạt||Idal<br/>(이달)||Date||Date Junnosuke (Yīdá Shùnzhīzhù)

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See also

• Chinese surname
• Japanese surname
• Korean surname
• Vietnamese name

References

External links

• The Ten-Thousand Families of Surnames from Netor (NETOR纪念:万家姓氏) (in simplified Chinese only)