The 10 Most Common Chinese Surnames
Based on official data, meet China's ten most common surnames — Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Wu and Zhou — their ranking, population size and cultural origins.
Every Chinese name begins with a surname. The surname comes first, and it is the first mark of a person's bloodline and family heritage. Chinese people often speak of the "Hundred Family Surnames" (百家姓), but according to statistics from China's Ministry of Public Security, more than 6,000 surnames are actually in use today. So, of these 6,000-plus surnames, which ten have the largest populations?
▲ About the data: the rankings below follow the Ministry of Public Security's nationwide surname reports (counted by household-registered population on the mainland, excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). The specific population figures and shares reference the 2010 national census. The official top ten are: Wang, Li, Zhang, Liu, Chen, Yang, Huang, Zhao, Wu, Zhou.
1. Wang (王) — the No. 1 Surname
Wang is the largest surname in China and the No. 1 surname in 16 provinces and regions including Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and Henan. According to the national census, about 94.68 million people — 7.10% of the total population — bear the surname Wang. The character 王 originally meant "monarch" or "supreme ruler," and it has been used as a surname since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, enduring for thousands of years.
2. Li (李)
With roughly 92.76 million people — 6.96% of the population — Li comes right after Wang. The surname is closely tied to the ancient "Li" official title and the Tang dynasty's imperial Li family, and it has produced figures such as Laozi, the poet Li Bai, and Emperor Taizong of Tang. Today, Li is the most common surname in Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Yunnan.
3. Zhang (张)
About 85.50 million people — 6.42% — bear the surname Zhang. The character 张 originally meant "to draw a bowstring," and legend has it that the ancient figure Hui was given the surname Zhang after inventing the bow and arrow. Zhang is the most common surname in Shanghai and is very evenly spread across the country.
4. Liu (刘)
Around 68.82 million people — 5.16% — are surnamed Liu. Liu Bang, who founded the Han dynasty, made Liu one of the most celebrated surnames in Chinese history. Today, it is the most common surname in Jiangxi province.
5. Chen (陈)
About 56.73 million people — 4.26% — bear the surname Chen, making it the fifth largest. The surname derives from the ancient state of Chen in the Zhou dynasty. Today, Chen is most concentrated in Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong.
6. Yang (杨)
Around 39.60 million people — 2.97% — are surnamed Yang. The surname traces back to the feudal state of Yang in the Western Zhou period and has produced many famous generals and statesmen over the centuries. Today, it is the most common surname in Guizhou province.
7. Huang (黄)
About 28.76 million people — 2.16% — bear the surname Huang. The character traces to the ancient state of Huang, located in what is now Henan province; the surname later spread southward and is today the most common in Guangxi.
8. Zhao (赵)
Around 27.02 million people — 2.03% — are surnamed Zhao. The classic Hundred Family Surnames opens with "赵钱孙李" precisely because the primer was compiled during the Northern Song dynasty, when Zhao was the imperial surname. The surname descends from the Ying clan's Zhao lineage, which later founded the state of Zhao during the Warring States period.
9. Wu (吴)
About 23.76 million people — 1.78% — bear the surname Wu, placing it ninth. Wu descends from the state of Wu founded by Taibo of the Zhou clan in the region south of the Yangtze, and it remains particularly common along the lower Yangtze today.
10. Zhou (周)
Around 25.06 million people — 1.88% — are surnamed Zhou, placing it tenth. The surname is closely connected to the royal Ji family of the Zhou dynasty and is now distributed across the whole country, with an ancient origin.
▲ A note: because Wu and Zhou are both in the same broad population bracket of roughly 24 million, their ninth- and tenth-place order occasionally flips between different years' official statistics. Following the Ministry of Public Security's latest report, this article lists Wu ninth and Zhou tenth.
Rankings have an order, but behind every surname lies more than a thousand years of family memory. Whether you are choosing a name for your new baby or for yourself from within Chinese cultural tradition, there is no better place to begin than with these ten surnames.
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