Luu

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Lưu or Luu is a Vietnamese surname. It is also the Vietnamese transliteration of the Chinese surname Liu (劉), the fourth most common surname in China. The name is transliterated as Yoo, Yu, or Ryu in Korean.

Unrelated, it is also the Chinese surname Luu (or Lü) which is transliterated as Lữ, or Lã in Vietnamese.

Lưu is a Vietnamese name of Chinese Han (漢人) descent. Between changes in Chinese dynasties and regimes, there were several major Luu/Liu (劉) families who immigrated to Vietnam. An example would be the Shu Dynasty where Emperor Liu (Luu) Bei's (劉備) descendents left their capital in Si Chuan. After losing to Wu and Wei dynasties in the Three Kingdom Era, many royalties and peasants alike headed south and eventually escaped to Vietnam. Another major immigration period is in 1949 when the communist took over China and many loyal nationalist left to Vietnam. Prior to French occupation, Vietnamnese writing was in Chinese character (漢字) and Luu was written as 劉. After French occupation, alphabets were introduced and hence all Liu (劉) surnames were changed and spelled as Luu. Many descendents of Luu who speaks Chinese would spell Luu in English and writes 劉 as their Chinese surname. After Vietnam War in 1975, many left the country and resettled all over the world. The majority resides in France and the United States.

Notable people with the surname Lưu

• Jane Luu, a Vietnamese American astronomer
• Chieu Luu, a Canadian journalist currently working in Washington, D.C.
• Phuc Lưu, a Vietnamese American Baptist minister, theologian, and philosopher.
• Lưu Huỳnh, a Vietnamese American film director
• Luu Trong Lu, a Vietnamese poet, writer, play writer

• Paul LUU, director of ODEADOM (the French Department's Agricultural Economy Development Office).
• Hai Luu, Transsexual Actor.

Cultural identity

Lưu descendants are Chinese in origin, immigrated to Vietnam and now born and raised in Vietnam as well as overseas.