A Chinese surname, family name (Chinese: 姓; Hanyu Pinyin: xìng or clan name 氏; shì), is one of the hundreds or thousands of family names that have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, and among ethnic Chinese in overseas Chinese communities. The colloquial expression "the hundred surnames" (百姓 bǎi xìng) is use ...

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• Chinese surname - Origin of surnames
• Chinese surname - Distribution of surnames
• Chinese surname - Surnames at present
• Chinese surname - Usage
• Chinese surname - The sociological use of surnames
• Chinese surname - Differences between Xing and Shi

Read more here: » Chinese surname: Encyclopedia - Chinese surname

Prior to the Warring States Period (5th century BCE), only the royal family and the aristocratic elite could generally take surnames. Historically there was also difference between xing and shi. Xing were surnames held by the immediate royal family. They generally are composed of a nü (女, meaning "female") radical which suggests that they originated from matriarchal societies based on maternal lineages. Prior to the Qin Dynasty (3rd century BCE) China was largely a feudal society. As fiefdoms were divided and s ...

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Chinese surname, Chinese surname - Origin of surnames, Chinese surname - Distribution of surnames, Chinese surname - Surnames at present, Chinese surname - Usage, Chinese surname - The sociological use of surnames, Chinese surname - Differences between Xing and Shi

Read more here: » Chinese surname: Encyclopedia II - Chinese surname - Origin of surnames

Throughout most of Chinese history, surnames have served sociological functions. Because of their association with the aristocratic elite in their early developments, surnames were often used as symbols of nobility. Thus nobles would use their surnames to be able to trace their ancestry and compete for seniority in terms of hereditary rank. Examples of early genealogies among the royalty can be found in Sima Qian's Historical Records, which contain tables recordi ...

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Chinese surname, Chinese surname - Origin of surnames, Chinese surname - Distribution of surnames, Chinese surname - Surnames at present, Chinese surname - Usage, Chinese surname - The sociological use of surnames, Chinese surname - Differences between Xing and Shi

Read more here: » Chinese surname: Encyclopedia II - Chinese surname - The sociological use of surnames

Of the thousands of surnames which have been identified from historical texts prior to the Han Dynasty, most have either been lost or simplified. In recent centuries some two-character surnames have often dropped a character. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, moreover, some surnames have been graphically simplified. Although there are thousands of Chinese family names, the 100 most common surnames, which together make up less than 5% of those in existence, are shared by 85% of the population. The three most common ...

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Chinese surname, Chinese surname - Origin of surnames, Chinese surname - Distribution of surnames, Chinese surname - Surnames at present, Chinese surname - Usage, Chinese surname - The sociological use of surnames, Chinese surname - Differences between Xing and Shi

Read more here: » Chinese surname: Encyclopedia II - Chinese surname - Surnames at present

Surnames are not evenly distributed throughout China's geography. In northern China, Wang (王) is the most popular surname, being shared by 9.9% of the population. Next are Li (李), Zhang (张) and Liu (刘). In the south, Chen (陈) is the most popular, being shared by 10.6% of the population. Next are Li, Huang (黄), Lin (林) and Zhang (张). Around the major crossing points of the Yangtze River, the most popular surname is Li, taking up 7.7%, followed by Wang, Zhang, Chen and Liu. A 1987 study showed over 450 family names in common use in Beij ...

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Chinese surname, Chinese surname - Origin of surnames, Chinese surname - Distribution of surnames, Chinese surname - Surnames at present, Chinese surname - Usage, Chinese surname - The sociological use of surnames, Chinese surname - Differences between Xing and Shi

Read more here: » Chinese surname: Encyclopedia II - Chinese surname - Distribution of surnames

In writing Chinese names, Chinese family names are placed before the given name, e.g. Cheung Kwok Wing. Hence the Western concept of first name and last name only creates confusion when used with Chinese names. In Westernized Asian countries or for those residing in the West, often a Western name is chosen, e.g. Leslie Cheung (張國榮). When the Western name and Chinese name are put together, it often becomes hard to tell what the family name is. Using Leslie Cheung as an example, some variants ...

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Chinese surname, Chinese surname - Origin of surnames, Chinese surname - Distribution of surnames, Chinese surname - Surnames at present, Chinese surname - Usage, Chinese surname - The sociological use of surnames, Chinese surname - Differences between Xing and Shi

Read more here: » Chinese surname: Encyclopedia II - Chinese surname - Usage