Our answer
No. 42 in China 杜
Dù, ‘birchleaf pear’ or ‘to stop’; spelled To in Hong Kong, Tu in Taiwan and Toh in Singapore and Malaysia
The short answer
Du (杜, Dù) is a Chinese surname whose character means the birchleaf pear tree or ‘to stop, prevent’. It was the 42nd most common surname in China in 2019, with about 6.19 million people in 2013. Tradition traces it to descendants of the legendary Emperor Yao near today’s Xi’an.
| In Chinese | 杜, the same in simplified and traditional characters |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Dù, with the fourth (falling) tone |
| Rank in China (2019) | No. 42 (Ministry of Public Security list of the 100 most common surnames) |
| Other spellings | To (Hong Kong), Tou (Macao), Tu (Taiwan, Wade–Giles), Toh (Singapore and Malaysia); Đỗ in Vietnamese |
| Meaning of the character | The birchleaf pear tree (Pyrus betulifolia); as a verb, ‘to stop, prevent’ |
| Most people in | Henan (Fuxi Institution figures, 2013) |
| Population | About 6.19 million people, 0.47% of the population (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
Origins of the Du surname
The character 杜 names the birchleaf pear, a small wild pear tree, and as a verb means to stop or prevent. Behind the Name classes the surname as one that began as a nickname.
Tradition traces the family to the Tangdu (唐杜) clan, said to descend from the legendary Emperor Yao through the ancient surname Qi (祁), who lived south-east of present-day Xi’an in Shaanxi. According to Chinese Wikipedia, King Cheng of Zhou moved the Tangdu clan to the town of Du, and its head became known as Du Bo (杜伯), the lord of Du. Another tradition holds that a state of Du already existed under the Shang, north-east of today’s Chang’an district of Xi’an.
The Du and Fan (范) clans are said to share a common ancestor. Later, some Du families descended from the Xianbei Tuoba clan, the ruling house of the Northern Wei. In the *Hundred Family Surnames*, 杜 is 129th.[3][4][5]
How Du is spelled around the world
Because Cantonese and Hokkien read 杜 with a t- sound, the surname often looks quite different outside the mainland.[1][3][10]
| Spelling | Where you see it | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Du | Mainland China | Mandarin, Hanyu Pinyin |
| Tu | Taiwan and older Western usage | Mandarin, Wade–Giles |
| To | Hong Kong, as in the director Johnnie To | Cantonese |
| Tou | Macao | Cantonese |
| Do | Other Cantonese-speaking communities | Cantonese |
| Toh | Singapore and Malaysia | Hokkien |
| Taw | Some Hokkien-origin families | Hokkien |
| Đỗ | Vietnam | Vietnamese equivalent of 杜 |
Where the Du surname is most common
In the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list of the 100 most common surnames, 杜 ranked 42nd, between the two Yus, 余 and 于, and 叶 Ye. Together the top 100 surnames cover 85.9% of China’s registered population.
The Fuxi Institution’s 2013 figures put the Du population at about 6.19 million, or 0.47% of the population, with Henan the province with the most people of the name. The family’s historic home was the Xi’an area: the poet Du Mu was born in the Tang capital Chang’an, and the Jin dynasty scholar Du Yu came from Duling, near Xi’an.[1][2][7][9]
Famous people named Du
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Du Shi (died 38) | 杜诗 | Eastern Han official in Nanyang, the first known person to use water power to drive bellows for iron smelting |
| Du Yu (222–285) | 杜预 | Jin dynasty general and scholar whose commentary on the *Zuo Zhuan* became standard |
| Du Fu (712–770) | 杜甫 | Tang dynasty poet, called the ‘Poet Sage’ (诗圣) and ranked with Li Bai as China’s greatest |
| Du Mu (803–852) | 杜牧 | Late Tang poet known for quatrains such as ‘Qingming Festival’ |
| Johnnie To (born 1955) | 杜琪峰 | Hong Kong film director of *The Mission*, *PTU* and *Exiled*, co-founder of Milkyway Image |
Questions readers ask
What does the Du surname mean?
The character 杜 means the birchleaf pear, a small wild pear tree, and as a verb ‘to stop, prevent’. As a surname it is traced to the ancient Tangdu clan and the lord of Du, near present-day Xi’an.
Is Du a Chinese last name?
Yes. 杜 Du was the 42nd most common surname in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list of the top 100.
How common is the Du surname in China?
Fuxi Institution figures for 2013 put it at about 6.19 million people, 0.47% of the population, with the largest number in Henan.
How do you pronounce Du?
Like ‘doo’, said with the fourth tone, which falls sharply. The d is unaspirated, so it sounds between English ‘d’ and ‘t’.
Is To the same as Du?
Yes, usually. To is the Hong Kong Cantonese spelling of 杜, as in the film director Johnnie To (杜琪峰). Tu (Taiwan) and Toh (Singapore and Malaysia) are the same surname too.
Who is the most famous person named Du?
The Tang dynasty poet Du Fu (712–770), known in China as the ‘Poet Sage’. The late Tang poet Du Mu (803–852) is also widely read.
Where does the Du surname come from?
Tradition traces it to the Tangdu clan, descendants of the legendary Emperor Yao, whom King Cheng of Zhou moved to the town of Du, south-east of present-day Xi’an; its head was called Du Bo, the lord of Du.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (Ministry of Public Security 2019 ranking and romanisations; Fuxi Institution 2013 figures) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 公安部发布最新百家姓 (Ministry of Public Security 2019 surname report, 20 January 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Du (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia (Chinese), 杜姓 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Behind the Name, Du · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Du Fu · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Du Mu · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Du Shi · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Du Yu · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Johnnie To · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction