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 various 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. Lists below are arranged alphabetically by their Mandarin pinyin spellings.

Native Han compound surnames

Double-barrelled surnames

occurs sometimes when both families of a marriage wish to pass down their surnames, or when a child wishes to commemorate both the biological and foster parents. This is often distinguished from compound surnames, which cannot be split into two single-character surnames. A doubled-barrelled surname is also distinguished from a married name, as married names are not passed down to the next generations.
Chinese CharactersMandarin
Cantonese
Hokkien
VietnameseKoreanJapaneseNotable People
范姜FànjiāngHoān-khiongPhạm KhươngFan Chiang Tai-chi
陸費 Lùfèi Luk6 Fai3Lục PhíYugbi; Ryugbi
RikuhiLufei Kui
葉劉 YèliúIa̍p-lâuDiệp LưuRegina Ip
張簡 ZhāngjiǎnTiuⁿ-kánTrương GiảnLouis Ozawa Changchien
張廖 ZhāngliàoTiuⁿ-liāuTrương LiêuChang Liao Wan-chein

Non-Han surnames

Peoples other than Han have resided in China and have their names transliterated into Chinese. A large number of these non-Han surnames contain more than one Chinese character.
Chinese CharactersMeaning/OriginOriginMandarin
Cantonese
Hokkien
VietnameseKoreanJapaneseNotable People
阿史那Wolf Possibly TurkicĀshǐnàAa3 Si2 Naa5A Sử NaAsana
AshinaEmpress Ashina
愛新覺羅
GoldManchuÀixīnjuéluó
Oi3 San1 Gok3 Lo4Ài-sin-kak-lôÁi Tân Giác LaAesin-gangna; Aesin-gangra
AishinkakuraQing rulers
孛兒只斤
Dark blue eyesMongolBó'érzhījīn
But6 Ji4 Zi2 Gan1Bột Nhi Chỉ Cân
Barajigeun
BotsujishikinGenghis Khan
獨孤 XianbeiDúgūDuk6 Gu1Độc CôDokgo
Dokko/DokukoDugu Qieluo
爾朱 XiongnuErzhuJi5 Zyu1Nhĩ ChuIju
JishuErzhu Rong,
Erzhu Zhao
賀蘭 Helan MountainsXianbeiHèlánHo6 Laan4Hạ LanHaran
GaranPrincess Dowager Helan
赫連 XiongnuHèliánHaak1 Lin4Hách LiênHyeongnyeon; Hyeongryeon
KakurenHelian Bobo
賀若 XianbeiHèruòHo6 Joek6Hạ NhượcHayak
KajakuHeruo Bi
赫舍里Water springManchuHèsheliHaak1 Se2 Lei5Hách Xá LýHyeoksari
KakushariHešeri Sonin, Empress Xiaochengren, Songgotu
万俟XianbeiMòqíMak6 Kei4Mặc KỳMukgi
BokujiMoqi Chounu
慕容XianbeiMùróngMou6 Jung4Bō·-iôngMộ DungMoyong
BoyūMurong Huang
納蘭 Variant of 叶赫那拉 ManchuNàlánNaap6 Laan4Nạp LanNamnan; Namran
NōranNalan Xingde
星團 Band/group/cluster of starsXīngtuánSing1 Tyun4Shindan
Seidan
呼延XiongnuHūyánFu1 Jin4Hô DiênHoyeon
KoenEmpress Huyan,
Huyan Zan
沙吒GöktürkShāzhāSaa1 Zaa1Sa TraSata
SataShazha Zhongyi
拓跋XianbeiTuòbáTok3 Bat6Thác BạtTakbal
TakubatsuEmperors of Northern Wei, formerly surname of Tangut rulers, Western Xia
完顏 JurchenWányánJyun4 Ngaan4Hoàn NhanWanan
KanganWanyan Aguda
耶律KhitanYēlǜYe4 Leut6Da Luật
Yayul
Yaritsu/JaritsuEmperors of Liao dynasty,
Yelü Chucai
尉遲 XianbeiYùchíWat1 Ci4Uất Trì
Ulji
Utchi/UtsuchiYuchi Jingde,
Yuchi Jiong
宇文XianbeiYǔwénJyu5 Man4Vũ VănUmun
UbunYuwen Tai, emperors of Northern Zhou
長孫 Eldest grandsonXianbeiZhǎngsūnZoeng2 Syun1Trưởng TônJangson
ChōsonZhangsun Wuji, Empress Zhangsun
山口Gateway/opening of the mountainJapaneseShānkǒuSan1 Hau2Soaⁿ-kháuSơn KhẩuSangu
YamaguchiYoshiko Yamaguchi
川島River on the islandJapaneseChuāndǎoCyun1 Dou2Chhoan-tóĐảo XuyênCheondo
KawashimaYoshiko Kawashima
伊達EleganceJapaneseYīdáJi1 Daat6I-ta̍tY ĐạtIdal
DateDate Junnosuke