Liu

For other uses, see Liu (disambiguation).

Liu
Liu surname in regular script
Pronunciation	Liú (Pinyin) Lâu (Pe̍h-ōe-jī)
Language(s)	Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese
Origin
Language(s)	Old Chinese
Derivation	Surname of the Han Dynasty's ruling family
Other names
Variant(s)	Liu (Mandarin) Liew, Lieu (Hakka) Lau, Lao, Lowe(Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew) Lưu (Vietnamese) Yoo (Korean)
See also	Yoo (Korean name)

See also: Yu the Great, Xia Dynasty, and Yu

劉(Lao, Lau, Low, Lauv, Liew, Liu, Loo, Lowe, 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 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).

In Teochew, 刘/劉 is usually romanized as Lau, Low or Lao; 柳 is written as Lew; and 廖 is romanized as Leow or Liau.

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 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.

after fall of Qin Dynasty, Qin Chinese emigrate to Longxi of Gansu and the territory of Xiongnu Dynasty. in Han Dynasty period, Liu royal change surname to Chen (surname) (陳). in the territory of Post Chu (state) the Zhejiang, Liu (劉) family change surname to Feng (奉). in Yuan Dynasty period, Chinese Liu (劉) family change surname to Jin (金). in some state, Yu (庾) be able trade to other Liu.

Origin of Liu, Yu

劉 (Liu, Lao, Lau, Low, Lowe, Lauv, Ryu, Yu, Yoo)

See also: Liu Bang, Chen (surname), and Liu Zhiyuan

• from Yu the Great of Xia Dynasty, from Emperor Yao
• from King Wen of Zhou of Zhou Dynasty
• from Xiang Chan of post Chu (state)
• from Liu Yuan of Han Zhao
• from Dugu family of Northern Wei

留 (Liu, Lau, Low, Lauv, Yu)

• from Yu the Great of Xia Dynasty, from Emperor Yao
• from Ji (surname) of Zheng (state)
• from Liu (劉) family of Liu Song Dynasty
• from Miao (people)
• from Ethnic Groups in China

柳 (Liu, Lew, Lao, Ryu, Yu)

See also: Liu Gongquan, Liu Zongyuan, and Liu Yizheng

• from Liu Xiahui (柳下惠) the Zhan Huo (展獲) the Zhan (surname) (展)
• from Emperor_Yi_of_Chu of Post Chu (state) from Zhuanxu the Gaoyang (高揚)
• from Miao (people) in Liu Country (柳邑)
• from Yang (陽) family at Ming Dynasty
• from Ethnic Groups in China

廖 (Liao, Liu, Leow, Liau, Yu)

See also: Liao (surname)

• from Zhuanxu the Gaoyang (高揚)
• from Ji (surname) of Zhou Dynasty
• from Miao (people)
• from Ethnic Groups in China

六 (Liu, Lak, Ljuk, Yuk)

• from Liu (state) (六) at Xia Dynasty period
• from Liu (state) (六) at Zhou Dynasty period

俞/腧 (Yu, Yoo, Liu, Wu, Wi, Joo, Ju)

See also: Yu people

• from Yu people (俞) in Ancient Chinese Period
• from Yu (腧) family the Feudal Lord of Huang Di period
• from Ji (surname) of Zheng (state)
• from Mi (surname) of Chu (state)
• from Hui (回) the Arab people
• from Ethnic Groups in China

庾 (Yu, Yoo, Joo, Ju)

• from Public Office at Zhou Dynasty period
• from Country Lord in territory of Chu (state)
• from Ethnic Groups in China

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

Historical

• The Liu royals and control of the following dynasties:
  • the Han Dynasty by Liu Bang, Han Dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han the Liu Xiu
  • the Shu Kingdom in the Period of the Three Kingdoms, (Liu Bei, (161 - 223) Liu Shan (207 - 271)
  • the Xiongnu Han Zhao by Liu Yuan (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 of Liu Zhiyuan and the Northern Han kingdom of Liu Min and the Southern Han kingdom of Liu Yin and Liu Chang in the Period of the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms
• Liu Ji, military strategist, statesman and prophet
• Liu Bin-Di, Chinese Muslim intelligence officer
• Liu Shifu, Chinese revolutionary and anarchist

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 (singer), 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 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 Yang, first female Chinese astronaut
• 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

Liu-Imperial Surname of China(刘）

— Royal house —
Preceded by Ying	Imperial Surname of All China 202 BC – 9 AD	Succeeded by Wang
	Imperial Surname of All China 23 AD – 220 AD	Succeeded by Sima

External links

• Chinese surname history: Liu

See also

• All pages beginning with "Liu"