Liu

劉 pinyin: Liú

劉(Lao, Lau, Liew, Liu, Loo, Low, Liou or Yu) is a common Chinese family name. The transliteration Liu can represent several different surnames written in different Chinese characters:

• 劉 / 刘, pinyin: Liú. A very common surname, as it was used by the ruling family of the Han Dynasty - a high point in the history of China.
• 柳 pinyin: Liǔ in mandarin, Lau : Cantonese
• 留 pinyin: Liú in mandarin, Lau : Cantonese
• 六 pinyin: Liù in mandarin, Lyuk : Cantonese
• 廖 Cantonese pinyin: Liu 6, Mandarin : Liao, Wu

In Vietnamese, the name can either take the form "Liễu" (in northern regions), corresponding to 柳 in Chinese, or "Lưu" (in central or southern regions), corresponding to 刘/劉 or 留 in Chinese. The family name 六 is "Lục" in Vietnamese. A few having Vietnamese-Chinese descent use the family name "Lao" while Indonesian-Chinese descent Latinise it according to Dutch pronunciation as "Lauw".

In Hakka, 刘/劉 is most commonly transliterated as 'Liew' while 廖 is written as 'Liau' or 'Liaw'. The other variants of the romanised surname 'Liu', i.e. 柳, 留 and 六, are uncommon among speakers of Hakka.

In Cantonese transliteration, 刘/劉 (Liú) is Lau, Lao is also transliteration of 刘/劉 in Min Nan and Taiwanese Minnan Chinese language, whilst Liu is a different surname, 廖, pinyin: Liào, ("Liêu" in Vietnamese).

origin of Liu, Yu

劉 (Liu, Lao, Lau, Low, Ryu, Yu, Yoo)

• from Qi(祁) clan of ruler Yao
• from King Wen of Zhou of Zhou Dynasty
• from Liu Bang of Han Dynasty
• from Xiang Chan(項纏) of western Chu (state), he emulate to surname of Liu Bang
• from Liu Yuan (Han Zhao) of Southern Xiongnu, descendant of Yufuluo
• from Dugu(獨孤) clan of Northern Wei by Xianbei people
• from Liu Zhi Yuan(劉知遠) of later Han Dynasty by Shatuo peole

柳 (Liu, Lau, Ryu, Yu, Yoo)

• from Zhan Huo of Lu (state), Zhou Dynasty
• from Emperor Yi of Chu of Western Chu
• from Miao (people)(苗), or Mieu people
• from Yi people(彝族), or Lolo people (Yi/Li)
• from Ling Man people(另满)
• from Shui Deng(水等) people
• from Mongol people
• from Cao(曹) clan at Ming Dynasty
• from Yang(楊) clan at Ming Dynasty

留 (Liu, Lau, Yu)

• from ruler Yao
• from Zheng (state) in Zhou Dynasty
• from Liu(劉) clan of Liu Song Dynasty
• from Miao (people)(苗)
• from Liujia(留佳), Liujili(留济理) clan of Liaoning
• from ethnic groups in China

廖 (Liu, Liao, Yu)

• from Ji(己) clan of Zhu Rong, add to Chu (state)
• from Zhou Dynasty
• from Yao people(瑶)
• from Miao (people)(苗)
• from Mulao people (仫佬)
• from Shui people (水)
• from Yan(偃) clan
• from Zhang(张) clan
• from Taiwanese aborigines at Qing Dynasty

六 (Liu, Ljuk, Yuk)

• from Zhou Dynasty

庾 (Yu)

• from Xiong(熊) clan of Chu (state)
• from officer by Office name at Zhou Dynasty

由 (You, Yau, Yu)

• from Yu Yú(由餘) of Xi Rong(西戎) at Qin (state)
• from Chu (state)
• from Mongol people
• from Manchu people

俞 (Yu, Liu)

• from Yu people(俞), kind of ethnic groups at early Zhou Dynasty
• from Zheng (state) of Zhou Dynasty
• from Wei (state) of Zhou Dynasty
• from Chu (state)
• from Hui(回) people, other Hui people surname is Cui/Choi(崔)
• from Jurchen people at Qing Dynasty
• from Mongol people from Donghu people
• from Jin Yi(今彝) people

柳, 劉, 兪, 庾, (Yu, Yoo, Ryu)

• Yu(庾) clan of Hwanghaedo at AD 300
• Yu(柳) clan of Hwanghaedo

Notes

• Various people with the Liu surname argue to be descendant of Han Wu Di, but there is no evidence supporting this.
• In some novels, Liu Bei is said to be the descendant of Liu Bang, but there is no supporting evidence to prove this true.
• Liu Bang surname from mother surname Liu(劉) by some rare record, just reference
• some leader of Xiongnu married a princess of Han Dynasty, so later Liu Bao of Southern Xiongnu get surname Liu(劉)
• some Liu(劉) clan change surname to Chen, Han, etc at Han Dynasty
• some Liu(劉) clan change surname to Jin/Kim at Yuan Dynasty
• 呂 is one's mother's side of early Han Dynasty, later break. Lyu, Lui, Yú is common a 呂(Lü, Yü), some able mixed
• Yu, common of surname 余, 餘, 俞, 喻, 兪, 於, 遇, 虞, 郁, 尉, 游, 尤, 庾, 娛, 娱, etc.

Prominent people with the family name 刘 / 劉 (Liú, Lao or Lau)

Historical

• The Liu royals of the following dynasties:
  • the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang - the Han Dynasty's founder
  • the Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu of Han (Liu Xiu)
  • the Shu Kingdom in the Period of the Three Kingdoms, (Liu Bei, Liu Shan)
  • the Xiongnu Han Zhao and the Tiefu Xia kingdoms in the Period of the Sixteen Kingdoms
  • the Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties
  • the Later Han Dynasty and the Northern Han kingdom and the Southern Han kingdom of the Period of the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms
  • Liu Chang, king of Southern Han
• Liu Ji, military strategist, statesman and prophet
• Liu Bin-Di, Chinese Muslim intelligence officer

Contemporary

• Anthony Liu, figure skater
• Evelyn Lau, writer
• Cecilia Liu, Chinese actress
• John Liu, New York City Comptroller
• Sidney Lau, Hong Kong linguist
• Liu Fang, Chinese Pipa and Guzheng player
• Laurin Liu (born 1990), Canadian politician
• Lucy Liu (born 1968), American actress
• Prudence Liew, singer and actress
• René Liu, singer and actress
• Rex Liu, British-Canadian classical bassoonist
• Will Liu, Taiwanese singer
• Henry Lau, Chinese-Canadian singer, member of Super Junior-M
• Yang Liu, classical violinist
• Alicia Liu, Taiwanese model
• Liu Bocheng, PRC military commander
• Liu Chia-Liang (Lau Kar-Leung), actor, choreographer and director
• Liu Dalin, sexologist
• Amber Liu, Chinese-American member of f(x) (band)
• Andy Lau, actor, singer
• Andrew Lau, filmmaker and actor
• Liu Binyan, dissident
• Liu Boming (astronaut)
• Liu Chao-shiuan, Kuomintang politician
• Liu Chengjun (general)
• Liu Fuzhi, PRC politician
• Liu Guoliang, table tennis player
• Liu Heng, writer
• Liu Huan, singer
• Liu Huaqing (1916–2011), PRC politician
• Liu Hui, mathematician
• Liu Jing (politician)
• Liu Ju Fang (Principal contrabassist of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra)
• Liu Kang (artist)
• Liu Qi (Chinese politician), Beijing Olympics organizer
• Liu Qi-Chao, jazz musician
• Liu Shaoqi, PRC politician
• Liu Shilan, a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) in chess
• Liu Sola, singer, composer, and writer
• Liu Tianhua, composer and musician
• Liu Wei (artist)
• Liu Wen, fashion model
• Liu Wenhui, warlord
• Liu Wenjing, one of the advisors of Tang Gaozu
• Liu Xiang, Olympic winner and World Record holder
• Liu Xiang (warlord)
• Liu Xiaobo, PRC dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
• Liu Xiaoqing, actress
• Liu Yalou, general
• Liu Yifei, singer/actress
• Tats Lau, Hong Kong actor and musician
• Lau Wan Kit, Hong Kong comic artist
• Liu Wenhui, warlord and PRC politician
• Liu Ye, Chinese actor
• Liu Yunpeng, Chinese high jumper
• Liu Zhijun, PRC politician
• Alan Lowe, Canadian architect & politician, former mayor of Victoria, BC, Canada

Prominent people with family name 柳 (Liǔ)

• Liu Gongquan, a poet and calligrapher
• Liu Zongyuan, a poet during Tang Dynasty
• Liu Yizheng, modern historian

Imperial Surname of China

See also

• All pages beginning with "Liu"

External links

• Chinese surname history: Liu