Wú is the
pinyin transliteration of the
Chinese surname吳 (Simplified Chinese
吴), which is a common surname (family name) in
Mainland China. Wú (吳) is the sixth name listed in the
Song DynastyclassicHundred Family Surnames.[1] In 2019 Wu was the ninth most common surname in Mainland China.[2] A 2013 study found that it was the eighth most common surname, shared by 26,800,000 people or 2.000% of the population, with the province having the most being Guangdong.[3]
The
Cantonese and
Hakka transliteration of 吳 is Ng, a syllable made entirely of a
nasal consonant while the
Min Nan transliteration of 吳 is Ngo, Ngoh, Ngov, Goh, Go, Gouw, depending on the regional variations in Min Nan pronunciation.
Shanghainese transliteration of 吳 is Woo.
吳 is also one of the most common surnames in Korea. It is spelled
오 in
Hangul and romanized O by the three major romanization systems, but more commonly spelled Oh in South Korea.
It is also related far back in Chinese history with the name "
Zhou (周)" and "
Ji (姬)". The
Vietnamese equivalent of the surname is Ngô.
Several other, less common Chinese surnames are also transliterated into English as "Wu", but with different
tones:
Wu (or Woo or Wou) is also the
Cantonese transliteration of the Chinese surname 胡 (Mandarin Hu), used in Hong Kong, and by overseas Chinese of Cantonese-speaking areas of Guangdong, Guangxi, and/or Hong Kong/Macau origin.
History of the surname Wu (吳)
The name originates from the ancient state of
Wu in present-day province of
Jiangsu.
In the 13th century BC, the state of Zhou (which will later become the
Zhou Dynasty) was ruled by
Tai Wang (King Tai of Zhou). His surname was originally
Ji (姬). He had three sons:
Taibo,
Zhongyong, and
Jili. King Tai of Zhou favored the youngest son, Jili to inherit the reins of power, therefore Taibo and his brother Zhongyong voluntarily left Zhou with a group of followers and headed southeast where they established the state of
Wu.[4][5] Taibo and Zhongyong's descendants eventually adopted Wu (吳) as their surname. The state of Wu later became a powerful kingdom of its own with the help of Generals
Wu Zixu and
Sun Tzu, the latter best known as the author of the military treatise
The Art of War, both serving under
King Helü of Wu. King Helü is considered to be one of the
Five Hegemons of China during the Spring and Autumn period.
Taibo and Zhongyong's youngest brother Jili stayed to rule the Zhou state and was the grandfather of
Wu Wang (King Wu of Zhou) who started the
Zhou Dynasty after successfully overthrowing the
Shang Dynasty. The descendants of Wu Wang eventually changed their surname from Ji (姬) to
Zhou (周) during the
Qin Dynasty to commemorate the merits and virtues of their ancestors.[6]
Therefore, the surnames Wu (吳), Zhou (周), and Ji (姬) are historically related.
Notable people
(in alphabetical order according to their names as spelled in Pinyin, or if unavailable, in English)
Historical figures
姬 吳泰伯 –
Taibo of Wu, eldest son of King Tai of Zhou and the legendary founder of the State of Wu, and the propagator of all people with the surname Wu (吳). Ancestral name is Ji (姬).
吳起 (吴起) –
Wu Qi, famous Chu general who wrote the Wuzi
吳文俊 –
Wu Wenjun (1919–2017), Chinese mathematician
吳儀 (吴仪) –
Wu Yi (politician), vice-premier of the People's Republic of China
呉子良 – Wu Ziliang, the birthname of
Emi Suzuki, Japanese model of Chinese descent
吳作棟 (吴作栋) – Wu Zuodong (
Goh Chok Tong), former Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, current Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the Central Bank of Singapore
吴亦凡 –
Kris Wu, ex-member of the Chinese-South Korean boy group EXO, Chinese-Canadian rapper and actor
吴军
Wu Jun (victim), Chinese survivor and victim of a robbery-murder case. His friend
Cao Ruyin was murdered; their two attackers were separately sentenced to death and to 18.5 years' jail for murder and robbery with hurt respectively.
巫 wū ("shaman") rarely occurs as a surname although it's more commonly associated with Malaysians of Chinese descent, or Chinese people that share connections with Malaysia. It is generally related to the
Chinese compound surname Wuma 巫馬 (lit. "horse shaman; equine veterinary"), but can also be regarded as a shortened term for 巫来由/巫來由 (wūláiyóu), a transcription of
Malay Melayu.
This page lists people with the
surnameWu. If an
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