Wu (surname)

Wu

Wu surname in regular script
Pronunciation	Wú (Pinyin)
Language(s)	Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean
Origin
Language(s)	Old Chinese
Derivation	State of Wu
Other names
See also	O Ng Ngô Ngov Vue) (Hmong surname)

Wú is the pinyin transliteration of the Chinese surname 吳 (Simplified Chinese 吴), which is a common surname (family name) in Mainland China. Wú (吳) is the sixth name listed in the Song Dynasty classic Hundred Family Surnames.^[1] In 2019 Wu was the ninth most common surname in Mainland China.^[2] A 2013 study found that it was the eighth most common surname, shared by 26,800,000 people or 2.000% of the population, with the province having the most being Guangdong.^[3]

The Cantonese and Hakka transliteration of 吳 is Ng, a syllable made entirely of a nasal consonant while the Min Nan transliteration of 吳 is Ngo, Ngoh, Ngov, Goh, Go, Gouw, depending on the regional variations in Min Nan pronunciation. Shanghainese transliteration of 吳 is Woo.

吳 is also one of the most common surnames in Korea. It is spelled 오 in Hangul and romanized O by the three major romanization systems, but more commonly spelled Oh in South Korea. It is also related far back in Chinese history with the name "Zhou (周)" and "Ji (姬)". The Vietnamese equivalent of the surname is Ngô.

Several other, less common Chinese surnames are also transliterated into English as "Wu", but with different tones:

武 Wǔ, 伍 Wǔ, 仵 Wǔ, 烏 Wū (also Wù), 鄔 Wū and 巫 Wū.

Wu (or Woo or Wou) is also the Cantonese transliteration of the Chinese surname 胡 (Mandarin Hu), used in Hong Kong, and by overseas Chinese of Cantonese-speaking areas of Guangdong, Guangxi, and/or Hong Kong/Macau origin.