Chinese surname facts for kids

Chinese surnames are family names used by people of Han Chinese background. You'll find them in places like China, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam. They are also common in Chinese communities worldwide, for example, in Singapore and Malaysia.

A unique thing about Chinese names is that the surname comes first. This is different from how names are usually written in Western countries.

There are about 2,000 Chinese surnames used today. However, most Chinese people share only a few of them. For instance, about half of all Han Chinese people use just 19 surnames! And 100 surnames cover about 87% of the population.

The most common Chinese surnames are Wang and Li. Each of these is shared by over 100 million people in China. Other very common names include Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Wu, and Zhou.

History of Chinese Surnames

In ancient China, there were two main types of family names. These were xing (Chinese: 姓; pinyin: xìng) and shi (Chinese: 氏; pinyin: shì).

Xing and Shi

• Xing were older, larger family names. They were often linked to a mother's family line.
• Shi were newer names. They came from smaller branches of a family. Over time, most shi names became the surnames we use today.

Today, xing usually means "surname." Shi can mean "clan name" or a woman's family name before marriage. Sometimes, both terms are used together as xingshi to mean "family name."

Family Traditions

For over 2,000 years, Chinese family names have passed from father to children. This is called a patrilineal system. It is very old and has a long written history. Many Chinese people feel their surname connects them to their family and heritage.

Usually, women do not change their surnames when they get married. This is different from many Western cultures. However, in places like Hong Kong, some women might change their names due to Western influences.

Traditionally, people with the same surname did not marry each other. This rule helped keep family lines distinct.

Common Surnames and Phrases

One famous book from the Song Dynasty is called Hundred Family Surnames. It lists over 400 common Chinese names. This book helped people learn and remember surnames.

The Chinese phrase lǎobǎixìng (老百姓) means "old hundred surnames." It is used to talk about "ordinary people" or "the common folk." Another similar phrase is bǎixìng (百姓), which also means "hundred surnames" or "the people."

Images for kids

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  Many village names in China are linked to surnames. Pictured is Jiajiayuan (贾家源), meaning "Jia Family's Spring." It is in Honggang Town, Tongshan County, Hubei.

See also

In Spanish: Apellido chino para niños