Su (surname)
Encyclopedia
Sū or So is the 41st most common Chinese family name in 2006.
One suggests that it derives from a minority ethnic group. In Liaodong during the period of Han Dynasty
a family name Wuyuanyousu (烏垣有蘇), which later changed into today's Su during the period of Northern Wei
.
Another theory starts off by introducing Fan, the eldest grandson of the six descendants of the 6th generation of Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor) lived in Kunwu, roughly the northeast region of Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi province, and was historically called Kunwu Shi. In the middle of Xia Dynasty, Di Huai (or Di Fen)gave You Su (today's Su Ling in central China's Henan province) to the offspring of Kunwu Shi as a fief, and they established State Su thereafter. State Su perished in the late Shang Dynasty. Clansmen of the conquered state took Su as their surname and moved to other places. Only those with surname Su living in Su Ling pledged allegiance to Zhou Dynasty. Su Chasheng secured an official position of Si Kou and King Wu of Zhou Dynasty gave him the place of Su as fief, with capital city in Wen, today's Wen County, Henan province. For this reason, people respectfully called Su Chasheng the earliest ancestor of surname Wen.
During the pre-Qin days (before 221 B.C.), people with surname Su mainly lived in Henan and Hebei. In Warring States period, one branch moved southward to Hunan and Hubei and the other westward to Shaanxi.
During Qin and Han Dynasties, Su people moved eastward to Shandong and later Su people living in the western regions of Shaanxi province became a prominent and distinguished family.
In late Northern and Southern Dynasties, ethnic minorities from northern regions moved to central plains and many changed their surnames to Su during the migration process.
Large number of Su people moved to Sichuang and Fujian during Tang Dynasty. In northern Song Dynasty, they moved further southward to Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi.
The Su people moved to Taiwan during Ming and Qing Dynasties, and now the surname Su has enjoyed the most popularity.
Origins
There are many theories to the origins of the surname.One suggests that it derives from a minority ethnic group. In Liaodong during the period of Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
a family name Wuyuanyousu (烏垣有蘇), which later changed into today's Su during the period of Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
.
Another theory starts off by introducing Fan, the eldest grandson of the six descendants of the 6th generation of Huang Di (the Yellow Emperor) lived in Kunwu, roughly the northeast region of Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi province, and was historically called Kunwu Shi. In the middle of Xia Dynasty, Di Huai (or Di Fen)gave You Su (today's Su Ling in central China's Henan province) to the offspring of Kunwu Shi as a fief, and they established State Su thereafter. State Su perished in the late Shang Dynasty. Clansmen of the conquered state took Su as their surname and moved to other places. Only those with surname Su living in Su Ling pledged allegiance to Zhou Dynasty. Su Chasheng secured an official position of Si Kou and King Wu of Zhou Dynasty gave him the place of Su as fief, with capital city in Wen, today's Wen County, Henan province. For this reason, people respectfully called Su Chasheng the earliest ancestor of surname Wen.
During the pre-Qin days (before 221 B.C.), people with surname Su mainly lived in Henan and Hebei. In Warring States period, one branch moved southward to Hunan and Hubei and the other westward to Shaanxi.
During Qin and Han Dynasties, Su people moved eastward to Shandong and later Su people living in the western regions of Shaanxi province became a prominent and distinguished family.
In late Northern and Southern Dynasties, ethnic minorities from northern regions moved to central plains and many changed their surnames to Su during the migration process.
Large number of Su people moved to Sichuang and Fujian during Tang Dynasty. In northern Song Dynasty, they moved further southward to Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi.
The Su people moved to Taiwan during Ming and Qing Dynasties, and now the surname Su has enjoyed the most popularity.
Famous people named Su (苏/蘇)
- Su Chin-shouSu Chin-shouSu Chin-shou was a Chinese muslim general of the 36th Division , who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. He was the Chief of Staff of General Ma Zhancang and was appointed as one of the two tao-yins of Kashgar in May, 1933...
Chinese MuslimHui peopleThe Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
chief of staff to General Ma ZhancangMa ZhancangMa Zhancang was a Chinese muslim general of the 36th Division , who served under Generals Ma Zhongying and Ma Hushan. At the Battle of Kashgar , he repulsed an attack of Uighurs led by the Syrian Arab Tawfiq Bay, wounding Tawfiq... - Su Xun, Su ShiSu ShiSu Shi , was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. His courtesy name was Zizhan and his pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi , and he is often referred to as Su Dongpo...
, Su Zhe - called 三蘇 (San Su, three Sus), Chinese poets - Su WuSu WuSu Wu was a diplomat and statesman during China's Han Dynasty, well known in Chinese history for his faithfulness to his mission and his empire.-Mission to Xiongnu:Not much is known about Su's early life or career...
, a politician of Western Han Dynasty - Su DingfangSu DingfangSu Dingfang , formal name Su Lie but went by the courtesy name of Dingfang, formally Duke Zhuang of Xing , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who succeeded in destroying the Western Tujue in 657. He was born in Wuyi...
, a general of the Tang DynastyTang DynastyThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire... - Su SongSu SongSu Song was a renowned Chinese polymath who specialized himself as a statesman, astronomer, cartographer, horologist, pharmacologist, mineralogist, zoologist, botanist, mechanical and architectural engineer, poet, antiquarian, and ambassador of the Song Dynasty .Su Song was the engineer of a...
, an astronomer and pharmacist - Su BuqingSu BuqingSu Buqing was a Chinese mathematician and educator.He was born in Pingyang in Zhejiang Province in 1902. He graduated from Tohoku Imperial University in Japan in 1927 and received his Ph.D. from the University in 1931...
, a mathematician and educator - Su Tseng-changSu Tseng-changSu Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process...
, a Taiwanese politician and former Premier of the Republic of ChinaPremier of the Republic of ChinaThe President of the Executive Yuan , commonly known as the Premier of the Republic of China , is the head of the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the Republic of China , which currently administers Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China... - Su AlecAlec SuAlec Su is a Taiwanese pop star and versatile actor in films and television dramas. He became famous as a member of the Taiwanese Idol Band The Little Tigers, formed in 1988, and later for his first Chinese TV series Princess Returning Pearl .-Little Tigers:Alec Su's career started in 1988, at...
, Taiwanese singer and actor - So Hang ShuenSoh Hang SuenSoh Hang Suen, also known as So Hung Shuen is a former TVB actor. Soh worked for TVB during its Golden Age, joining in 1974, and was most notable for her role in Looking Back In Anger...
, former Hong Kong TVB actress - So JohnJohn SoJohn Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.First elected...
, former Lord Mayor of Melbourne - So William 蘇永康William SoWilliam So Wing Hong is a Hong Kong actor and a cantopop singer. He began his musical career by participating the New Talent Singing Awards in 1985 and won the competition as the first runner up. His performance at that event earned him a record contract with Capital Artists...
, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
singer and actor and a quarter of Big FourBig Four (band)The Big Four is an all-male Hong Kong musical group formed by Dicky Cheung, Andy Hui, William So, and Edmond Leung in 2009. They released their first self-titled single in 2009, in which the single topped most of Hong Kong's music charts...
and 1st runner up of the 4th annual New Talent Singing AwardsNew Talent Singing AwardsNew Talent Singing Awards or NTSA for short, later re-organized into New Talent Singing Awards International Finals or NTSA International Finals for short), and most currently re-named TVB8 International Chinese New Talent Singing Championship is an annual singing...
. - So LouisaLouisa SoLouisa So Yuk Wa is a Hong Kong actress in drama and TV series. She is considered the "Cooking Mistress" after winning the comedy cooking show Beautiful Cooking...
, Hong Kong actress - So WesleyWesley SoWesley So is a Filipino chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he achieved the GM title at the age of 14 years, 1 month and 28 days, making him the 8th youngest person to achieve the Grandmaster title in the history of chess. Before becoming a Grandmaster, So had become the youngest Filipino...
, Filipino chess prodigy - So Bassanio, director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (2004–2007)