Our answer
China’s 15th most common surname 胡
Traced to Duke Hu of Chen in the Zhou dynasty; spelled Wu or Woo in Cantonese
The short answer
Hu (胡, Hú) is a Chinese surname, ranked 15th in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. Tradition traces it to Duke Hu of Chen, a lord of the early Zhou dynasty. In Cantonese it is spelled Wu or Woo, and in Hokkien Aw or Oh.
| In Chinese | 胡 (the same in simplified and traditional characters) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Hú (second, rising tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | 15th, Ministry of Public Security list |
| Other spellings | Wu / Woo (Cantonese), Oh / Ow / Aw (Min Nan), Foo (Hakka), Hồ (Vietnamese), Ho (Korean), Ko (Japanese) |
| Meaning of the character | In classical Chinese a dewlap; also ‘beard, whiskers’, and an old name for peoples of the northern and western frontiers |
| Most numerous in | Hubei province (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) |
| Population | About 15.5 million, 1.16% of mainland China (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) |
Origins of the Hu surname
The best-known origin story goes back to the start of the Zhou dynasty. Tradition holds that King Wu of Zhou gave the state of Chen to his son-in-law, Gui Man, whose posthumous title was Duke Hu (胡公). His descendants took Hu as their surname. There were also two small Zhou vassal states called Hu, one near today’s Luohe in Henan and one near Fuyang in Anhui.
Other families came to the name later. In 496, when the Northern Wei court changed Xianbei clan names into Chinese ones, the name Hegu (紇骨) became Hu. In ancient times hu was also a general word for the peoples on China’s northern and western frontiers, and some families of Central Asian and steppe origin took it as their surname.
The character itself is old. In classical Chinese 胡 meant a dewlap, and it was borrowed for other words; Behind the Name gives its meanings as ‘beard, whiskers, recklessly, wildly, barbarian’. Like most Chinese surnames, though, it is simply a family name today and no one hears the meaning in it.[2][3]
How Hu is spelled around the world
The character is always 胡; only the romanisation changes with the dialect and the country.[1][2]
| Spelling | Where | Language / system |
|---|---|---|
| Hu | Mainland China; also the old Wade–Giles spelling | Mandarin, pinyin |
| Wu, Woo | Hong Kong, Cantonese families abroad | Cantonese |
| Oh, Ow, Aw | Singapore, Malaysia and other Hokkien-speaking communities | Min Nan (Hokkien) |
| Foo | Hakka-speaking families | Hakka |
| Hồ | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Ho (호) | Korea | Korean |
| Ko | Japan | Japanese reading of the character |
Aw is the spelling used by the Burmese Chinese family that founded Tiger Balm; the brothers Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par were both 胡.
Where the Hu surname is most common
Hu was the 15th most common surname in mainland China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking, and it was also 15th in 2006. Figures from the Fuxi Institution for 2013 put the number of people named Hu at about 15.5 million, or 1.16% of the population, with more of them in Hubei than in any other province.
Outside China, Vietnam’s Hồ dynasty was founded by a clan that traced its roots to Zhejiang, and a 2020 study linked the number of people named Hu in Italy to emigration from Zhejiang.[1][2]
Famous people named Hu
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Hu Zongxian | 胡宗宪 | Ming dynasty general |
| Hu Die | 胡蝶 | Actress, crowned China’s first ‘Movie Queen’ in 1933 |
| Aw Boon Haw | 胡文虎 | Burmese Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist, founder of Tiger Balm |
| Hu Xiansu | 胡先骕 | Botanist (1894–1968) |
| Hu Ge | 胡歌 | Actor, lead in the TV dramas Nirvana in Fire and Blossoms Shanghai |
| Kelly Hu | 胡凯丽 | American actress |
| Myolie Wu | 胡杏儿 | Hong Kong actress and singer |
Questions readers ask
What does the surname Hu mean?
The character 胡 meant a dewlap in classical Chinese, and was also used for ‘beard, whiskers’ and as an old name for peoples on China’s northern frontiers. As a surname it is traced to Duke Hu of Chen, a lord of the early Zhou dynasty.
Is Hu a Chinese last name?
Yes. Hu (胡) is a common Chinese surname, ranked 15th in mainland China in 2019. It is also found in Vietnam as Hồ and in Korea as Ho.
How common is the Hu surname in China?
It was the 15th most common surname in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. The Fuxi Institution put the number of people named Hu at about 15.5 million in 2013, 1.16% of the population, most of them in Hubei.
How do you pronounce Hu?
Roughly ‘hoo’, with a rising tone (Hú) in Mandarin. In Cantonese it sounds like ‘woo’, which is why Hong Kong families spell it Wu or Woo.
Is Wu the same as Hu?
Sometimes. In Hong Kong, Wu or Woo is often the Cantonese spelling of 胡 (Hu). But in mainland China Wu is a different surname, 吴, which Cantonese speakers usually spell Ng.
Is Aw a Chinese surname?
Yes. Aw, Oh and Ow are Hokkien spellings of 胡 (Hu), used mainly in Southeast Asia. The Tiger Balm founders, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, were Hu.
Who is the most famous person named Hu?
Among actors, Hu Ge (胡歌), star of Nirvana in Fire, is one of the best known in China today. From history, the Ming general Hu Zongxian and the 1930s film star Hu Die are well remembered.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; romanisations) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Hu (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Behind the Name, Hu (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Hu Ge · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Hu Die · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction