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 non-Chinese tribes that lived in ancient China, while others were created by joining two one-character family names. Only a few of these names 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. Chinese surnames with more than two characters are mostly not of ethnic Chinese origin, and are becoming exceedingly rare to find, but are still in use today.
In modern times, some families are now combining the surnames of the parents to create new names. Some examples of notable clans include Changchien.

Compound surnames

Chinese CharactersMeaning/OriginOriginMandarin
Cantonese
Hokkien
VietnameseKoreanJapaneseNotable People
愛新覺羅
GoldManchu
Àixīnjuéluó
Oi3 San1 Gok3 Lo4Ái Tân Giác LaAesin-gangna; Aesin-gangra
AishinkakuraEmperors of Qing Dynasty
阿史那WolfPossibly TurkicĀshǐnàAa3 Si2 Naa5A Sử NaAsana
AshinaEmpress Ashina
百里Hundred liBǎilǐBaak3 Lei5Bách LýBaengni; Baengri
HyakuriBaili Xi
孛兒只斤
Mongol
Bó'érzhījīn
But6 Ji4 Zi2 Gan1Bột Nhi Chỉ CânBar-ajigeun
BotsujishikinEmperors of Yuan Dynasty
淳于A small country in ChunqiuChúnyúSeon4 Jyu1Thuần VuSun-u
Jun'uChunyu Qiong
第五The fifthDìwǔDai6 Ng5Đệ NgũJe-o
DaigoDiwu Qi
東方 "East", descendants of Fuxi clan according to legendDōngfāngDung1 Fong1Đông PhươngDongbang
TōhōDongfang Shuo
東閣 "Eastern Pavilion"DōnggéDung1 Gok3Đông CácDonggak
Tōkaku
東郭 "Eastern Wall"DōngguōDung1 Gwok3Đông QuáchDonggwak
TōkakuMr Dongguo
東門 "East Gate", place of residence, from Zhou dynastyDōngménDung1 Mun4Đông MônDongmun
Tōmon
端木DuānmùDyun1 Muk6Đoan MộcDanmok
TanbokuDuanmu Ci
,
Duanmu San
獨孤 XianbeiDúgūDuk6 Gu1Độc CôDokgo
Dokko/DokukoDugu Qieluo
爾朱 XiongnuErzhuErzhu Rong,
Erzhu Zhao
公孫 "Dukes' descendants", an address of the noble descendants in the Spring and Autumn periodGōngsūnGung1 Syun1Công TônGongson
KōsonGongsun Zan, Gongsun Long
公羊Branch of GongsunGōngyángGung1 Joeng4Công DươngGong-yang
KōyōGongyang Gao
公冶Branch of Ji, from courtesy name of Jiye of Lu in the Eastern Zhou DynastyGōngyěGung1 Je5Công DãGong-ya
KōyaGongye Chang
公西GōngxīGung1 Sai1Công TâyGongseo
KōsaiGongxi Chi
毌丘Place nameGuànqiūKwun3 Jau1Quán KhâuGwan-gu
KankyūGuanqiu Jian
穀梁 Sorghum grains GǔliángGuk1 Loeng4Cốc LươngGongnyang; Gongryang
Kokuryō
賀蘭 Helan MountainsXianbeiHèlánHo6 Laan4Hạ LanHaran
XiongnuHèliánHaak1 Lin4Hách LiênHyeongnyeon; Hyeongryeon
KakurenHelian Bobo
赫舍里Manchu
HèsheliHaak1 Se2 Lei5Hách Xá LýHyeoksari
KakushariHešeri Sonin, Empress Xiaochengren, Songgotu
賀若 XianbeiHèruòHo6 Joek6Hạ NhượcHa-yak
KajakuHeruo Bi
皇甫Branch of Zi, from 皇父, the courtesy name of Huangfu Chongshi of the Duchy of Song in the Eastern Zhou DynastyHuángfǔWong4 Pou2Hông-húHoàng PhủHwangbo
KōfuHuangfu Song,
Huangfu Ran
黄斯HuangsiHoàng Tư
呼延XiongnuHūyánFu1 Jin4Hô DiênHo-yeon
KoenEmpress Huyan,
Huyan Zan
兰向LanxiangLan Hướng
令狐Place nameLínghúLing6 Wu4Lệnh HồYeongho; Ryeongho
ReikoLinghu Chu
陆費 Intermarriage between Lu and Fei clansLùfèi Lufei Kui
甪里Place nameLùlǐLuk6 Lei5Lộ LýNongni; Rongri
Rokuri
閭丘 Place nameLǘqiūLeoi4 Jau1Lư KhâuYeogu; Ryeogu
RyokyūLuqiu Luwei
万俟XianbeiMòqíMak6 Kei4Mặc KỳMansa
BokujiMoqi Chounu
慕容XianbeiMùróngMou6 Jung4Mộ DungMo-yong
BoyūMurong Huang
納蘭 Variant of 叶赫那拉 Manchu
NàlánNaap6 Laan4Nạp LanNamnan; Namran
NōranNalan Xingde
南宮 Southern PalaceNángōngNaam4 Gung1Nam CungNamgung
NankyūNangong Kuo
歐陽 South of Mt. Ou YuŌuyángAu1 Joeng4Au-iôngÂu DươngGu-yang
ŌyōOuyang Xiu
沙吒GöktürkShāzhāSaa1 Zaa1Sa TraSata
SataShazha Zhongyi
上官High official ShàngguānSoeng6 Gun1Siōng-koanThượng QuanSanggwan
ShōkanEmpress Shangguan, Shangguan Wan'er
申屠ShēntúSan1 Tou4Thân ĐồSindo
ShintoShentu Jian
司馬 "Master of the Horse" or "Marshall", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han DynastySīmǎSi1 Maa5Su-máTư MãSama
ShibaSima Qian, Emperors of the Jin Dynasty
司徒"Minister over the Masses", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han DynastySītúSi1 Tou4 Tư ĐồSado
ShitoSzeto Wah, Sitoh Yih Pin
司空"Minister of Works", one of the Three Excellencies from the Han DynastySīkōngSi1 Hung1Tư KhôngSagong
ShikūSikong Ting
司寇"Minister of Justice"SīkòuSi1 Kau3Tư KhấuSagu
Shikō
太史"Grand Historian", an imperial official titleTàishǐTaai3 Si2Thái SửTaesa
TaishiTaishi Ci
澹臺 TántáiTaam4 Toi4Đam ĐàiDamdae
TantaiTantai Mieming
拓跋XianbeiTuòbáTok3 Bat6Thác BạtTakbal
TakubatsuEmperors of Northern Wei, formerly surname of Tangut rulers, Western Xia
完顏 JurchenWányánJyun4 Ngaan4Hoàn NhanWan-an
KanganWanyan Aguda
聞人 "famous person", descendants of Shaozheng Mao WénrénMan4 Jan4Văn NhânMun-in
Bunjin
巫馬 "Horse"WūmǎNg5 Maa5Vu MãUma
)		GobaWuma Shi
夏侯"Marquess Xia", from noble title granted to the descendants of Yu the Great by Duke of Lu in the Spring and Autumn periodXiàhóuHaa6 Hau6Hā-hô͘Hạ HầuHahu
KakōXiahou Ying,
Xiahou Dun
鮮于 XiānyúSin1 Jyu1Tiên VuSeon-u
Sen'uXianyu Zhongtong
西門 "West Gate", place of residence, from Marquessate of Zheng in the Spring and Autumn periodXīménSai1 Mun4Tây MônSeomun
SaimonXimen Bao
軒轅 The name of the Yellow EmperorXuānyuánHin1 Jyun4Hiên ViênHeon-won
Ken'enYellow Emperor
楊子 A branch of 楊 YángzǐJoeng4 Zi2Dương TửYangja
Yōshi
耶律KhitanYēlǜYe4 Leut6Da Luật
Ya-yul
Yaritsu/JaritsuEmperors of Liao Dynasty,
Yelü Chucai
樂正 Minister of musicYuèzhèngNgok6 Zing3Nhạc ChínhAkjeong
Gakusei
尉遲 XianbeiYùchíWat1 Ci4Uất Trì
Ulji
Utchi/UtsuchiYuchi Jingde,
Yuchi Jiong
宇文XianbeiYǔwénJyu5 Man4Vũ VănUmun
UbunYuwen Tai, Emperors of Northern Zhou
長孫 XianbeiZhǎngsūnZoeng2 Syun1Trưởng TônJangson
ChōsonZhangsun Wuji, Empress Zhangsun
鍾離 A country in ChunqiuZhōnglíZung1 Lei4Chung LyJongni; Jongri
ShōriZhongli Mu
,
Zhongli Mo
諸葛 A branch of 葛 ZhūgěZyu1 Got3Chu-katGia Cát
Jegal
ShokatsuZhuge Liang
祝融God of FireZhùróngZuk1 Jung4Chúc DungChug-yung
ShukuyūLady Zhurong
子車 ZǐjūZi2 Geoi1Tử XaJageo
Shikyo
左人Left-handed manZuǒrénZo2 Jan4Tả NhânJwa-in
Sajin