Xie (surname)
Pronunciation | Xiè (Pinyin) Siā (Pe̍h-ōe-jī) |
---|---|
Language(s) | Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Chinese |
Word/name | Descendants of Yuyang |
Derivation | State of Xie |
Meaning | to thank |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Xie, Hsieh (Mandarin) Tse, Tze, Che, Jay (Cantonese) Chia, Cheah, Sia (Hokkien) Chia (Teochew) Zhia, Zia (Shanghainese) Sa (Korean) Tạ (Vietnamese) |
Xie ([ɕjê])[nb 1] (simplified Chinese: 谢; traditional Chinese: 謝; pinyin: Xiè; Wade–Giles: Hsieh4) is a Chinese family name; it is estimated that there are about ten million people in China mainland with this surname, the majority of whom live in southern China, and a 2013 study found that Xie was the 23rd most common surname in China,[2] with 0.79% of the population having this surname.[3] The greater majority of Xie members are also members of the Hakka people of the greater Han ethnicity.
The surname originated in two major branches: during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, and near the end of the Western Zhou Dynasty. It was a prominent aristocratic clan in the Eastern Jin dynasty of China. The hometown of the Xie is Kaifeng, Henan Province.
Variations
The spelling of the same Chinese character using Wade–Giles romanization is Hsieh. The spelling "Hsieh" is most commonly used in Taiwan and in older romanizations. "Hsieh" tends to be incorrectly pronounced as "Shay" by those attempting to read it using English orthography. However, other variations are pronounced "Sh'eh" and the spelling is sometimes modified as Shieh.
The Cantonese spelling of the same Chinese character is Tse or Tze and the Taishanese spelling of the same Chinese character is Dea, Der, Dare, or Dear. The Min Nan (Hokkien) and Teochew spelling of the same Chinese character is Chia, Cheah, or Sia.
In Malaysia and Singapore, the name is most commonly Chia, although Cheah, Seah, Sia, Cha, Tse, Chay etc. can also be found. During the Chinese diaspora, the region was administered by British Empire clerks, who knew little about Chinese dialects, often had to find their own romanizations. As a result, the variations are non-exhaustive.
In the Philippines, the name is also spelled as Sese (which also means thank you in Kapampangan, a local dialect in Pampanga, Philippines where the first Xie settled). In Indonesia, the name is also spelt as Tjhia or Tjia. In East Timor, as a legacy of Portuguese colonialism and lingua franca, Xie is also produced as Tchia, Tchea, Tsia, Tcha and Tjea. The Vietnamese version is Tạ.
In the United States, the name is sometimes spelled as Jair and Zia. Other variations of the surname include Shea and Shei.
Variation table
Variation | Language | Common Place |
---|---|---|
Xie | Mandarin/Pinyin Romanization | Mainland China |
Tse | Cantonese | Hong Kong |
Chay
Cheah |
Hokkien (Minnan) and Teochew
Cantonese |
Min Overseas Chinese |
Tjhia Tjia |
Bahasa Indonesia | Indonesia |
Cheah Chia Seah |
All Min, Hakka and Yue dialects | Malaysia, Singapore |
Saa Sia |
Filipino-Chinese | Philippines |
Sese | Filipino-Kapampangan | |
Hsieh Shieh |
Wade–Giles romanization | Taiwan |
Ché | Portuguese | Macau |
Tcha Tchea Tchia Tjea Tsia |
Portuguese | Timor-Leste |
Dea Dear Dare Der |
Taishanese | United States |
Zia Zhia |
Shanghainese | |
Tạ Ha |
Vietnamese | Vietnam |
Sa | Korean | Korea |
Sha | Japanese | Japan |
Origins and history
During the legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, the Xie were believed to be the descendants of Yuyang, son of the Yellow Emperor. Yuyang's descendants founded ten states successively, the State of Xie (谢) first, and its occupants becoming the first Xie.[4]
For the purpose of reciprocating his mother's upbringing, King Xuan of Zhou (r. 827 – 782 BCE) of the Western Zhou Dynasty granted the former State of Xie, in modern Nanyang, Henan province, to his maternal uncle Shen Boxi, the Marquess of Shen, whose line claimed descent from the semi-mythological character Bo Yi. The people of Xie later adopted the name of the state as their surname.[4]
By the early Qin dynasty, a branch of the Xie relocated to Yangxia (阳夏), Chen (陈) commandery (modern-day Taikang, Henan), and built a reputation as a noble clan.
In the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Xie were among the cluster of noble clans who fled to the south in the wake of the fall of Chang'an, dominating the court thereafter.[5]
Famous people with the surname Xie
Xie clan of Chen commandery
- Xie An (謝安) (320–385), Statesman and Prime Minister of the Jin dynasty
- Xie Daoyun (謝道韫) (340-399), Jin dynasty scholar, poet and debater
- Xie Xuan (謝玄) (343-388), Duke of Kangle, Jin Dynasty general
- Xie Lingyun (謝靈運) (385–433), Duke of Kangle, Jin Dynasty poet
- Empress Xie Fanjing (謝梵境), Empress of the Liu Song Dynasty
- Xie He (謝赫), Liu Song and Southern Qi writer, art historian and critic.
Politics & military
- Hsieh Tung-min (謝東閔) (1908-2001), Kuomintang politician and first local Vice-President of the Republic of China
- Xie Fuzhi (谢富治) (1909-1972), Communist Party of China military commander and political commissar
- Xie Jinyuan (謝晉元), Commander of the Defense of Sihang Warehouse in the National Revolutionary Army of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War
- Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), former Kaohsiung mayor, Premier of the Republic of China, and DPP's candidate for the 2008 ROC Presidency.
- You Xie (謝盛友), CSU-political leader, German journalist and author of Chinese origin.
Entertainment and business
- Xie Jin (谢晋) (1923-2008), film director
- Tse Kwan Ho, (謝君豪) Actor of film, stage and television
- Michael Tse (謝天華), Hong Kong actor
- Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒), Hong Kong based singer and actor
- Patrick Tse (謝賢), actor, producer, screenwriter and director in Hong Kong cinema.
- Kenneth Tse (謝德骥), classical saxophone soloist
- Xie Shaoguang (谢韶光), Singapore television actress
- Fiona Xie (谢宛谕), Singaporean television actress
- Amber Chia (谢麗萍), Malaysian model
- Beau Sia (謝福源), Chinese-American slam poet.
- Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com CEO
- Jeffrey Cheah (謝富年), Founder and chairman of The Sunway Group of Companies in Malaysia.
- Dhanin Chearavanont, CEO of CP Group
- Chay Yew (謝耀) Artistic Director, Victory Garden Theater, Chicago,USA
- Jeannie Hsieh, Taiwanese singer-songwriter, dancer, actress, and model
- Janet Hsieh, Taiwanese American television host
Literature and art
- Xie Jin (謝縉) (1369–1415), Ming dynasty landscape painter and calligrapher
- Dr. Cheah Thien Soong, Malaysian contemporary ink-painting artist
- Xie Jun (谢军) (born 1970), two-time Women's World Chess Champion
- Xie Zhe-Qing (謝哲青) (born 1973), Taiwanese literature and history scholar, travel writer
- Xie Qin (谢琴) (born 1986), journalist and author
- Xie Qinggao(谢清高), famous tourist in Qing Dynasty, so-called Chinese "Marco Polo".
Sports
- Xie Limei (谢荔梅), Chinese triple jumper
- Xie Xingfang (谢杏芳), badminton player from the People's Republic of China
- Xie Zhongbo (谢中博), badminton player from the People's Republic of China
- Hsieh Chia-hsien (謝佳賢), Taiwanese professional baseball player
- Hsieh Su-wei, professional tennis player
- Hsieh Chia-Han (born 1988), Taiwanese pole vaulter
Religion
- Xie Shiguang (1917–2005), Chinese Catholic Bishop
- Nicholas Chia (谢益裕), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
Education
- Daniel Tse, University of Macau
- T.H. Tse, The University of Hong Kong
- Shang-Ping Xie, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California
- Wen K. Shieh, The University of Pennsylvania
- Adrian C. Shieh, Drexel University
Notes
References
- ^ "Pronunciation of Xie". Pronounce Names. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^ "Newest 100 Surnames". 2006-01-10. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ Tanghe County and Taikang County of Henan Province: the origin of surname Xie, en.hnta.cn.
- ^ a b Chinese surname history: Xie, poepledaily.com Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ Clans in the Eastern Jin, chinaknowledge.de