Niu

1. Chinese 牛: this name probably arose during the Zhou dynasty (1122-221bc) in the area of Gansu province; the details are unclear. It was borne by a person named Niu Wen, who was a descendant of the eldest brother of the last king of the Shang dynasty, Zhou Xin (1154-1123bc).

2. Chinese 钮: a second character pronounced Niu came into use as a surname during the Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420ad) in Jiangsu province south of the Yangtze river.

3. Tongan: unexplained.

GIVEN NAMES: Chinese 37%. Ming (2), Baohua, Cheng, Chi-Sheng, Chien, Chuan, Feng, Gang, Jiayi, Kejian, Li, Li Min.

See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.