--- title: "Luo (罗): the surname of the ancient state of Luo, spelled Lo, Law or Loh" url: https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/luo section: "Culture" type: answer updated: 2026-11-01 next_review: 2027-02-01 status: checked author: "The Popular in China desk" fact_checker: "Alex Liu" publisher: Popular in China (https://popularinchina.com) license: Quote with attribution and a link to https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/luo --- # Luo (罗): the surname of the ancient state of Luo, spelled Lo, Law or Loh _Luo is the 20th most common surname in China, shared by more than 12 million people, with the largest number in Sichuan. It takes its name from a small ancient state in what is now Hubei. Abroad it is usually spelled Lo, Law or Loh. Here is where it comes from, how it is spelled, which similar-sounding surnames to watch for and some well-known people who carry it._ **Verdict: China’s 20th most common surname** (罗) — Named after the ancient state of Luo in today’s Hubei; spelled Lo or Law in Cantonese ## Short answer Luo (罗, traditional 羅, Luó) is a Chinese surname, ranked 20th in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. It comes from the ancient state of Luo, in what is now Hubei province. In Cantonese it is spelled Lo or Law, and in Southeast Asia often Loh or Low. ## At a glance - **In Chinese:** 罗 (simplified) / 羅 (traditional) - **Pinyin:** Luó (second, rising tone) - **Rank in China (2019):** 20th, Ministry of Public Security list - **Other spellings:** Lo / Law / Loh / Lowe / Lor (Cantonese), Lo / Lor / Law (Min Nan), Low (Teochew), Law / Lo / Loh (Hakka), La (Vietnamese), Na / Ra (Korean) - **Meaning of the character:** The name of the ancient state of Luo, in present-day Hubei - **Most numerous in:** Sichuan province (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) - **Population:** About 12.6 million, 0.95% of mainland China (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) ## Origins of the Luo surname Luo is one of the many Chinese surnames that began as the name of a state. The state of **Luo** was a small feudal territory in what is now **Hubei** province, recorded from the Shang dynasty into the Warring States period. When it disappeared, its people and their descendants kept its name as their surname. Luo comes 75th in the Hundred Family Surnames (百家姓), the classic list of Chinese family names. Sources: [2][3] ## How Luo is spelled around the world The character is 罗 in mainland China and 羅 in Hong Kong, Taiwan and many overseas communities; the spelling depends on the dialect. [1][2] | Spelling | Where | Language / system | | --- | --- | --- | | Luo | Mainland China | Mandarin, pinyin | | Lo | Hong Kong, Taiwan; older books on China | Cantonese; Mandarin, Wade–Giles | | Law, Loh, Lowe, Lor | Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Cantonese families abroad | Cantonese | | Low | Singapore, Malaysia | Teochew | | Lo, Lor, Law | Taiwan, Southeast Asia | Min Nan (Hokkien) | | Law, Lo, Loh | Hakka-speaking families | Hakka | | La | Vietnam | Vietnamese | | Na (나) / Ra (라) | South Korea / North Korea | Korean | ## Where the Luo surname is most common Luo was the 20th most common surname in mainland China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking. The Fuxi Institution’s 2013 figures counted about **12.6 million** people named Luo, 0.95% of the population, with the largest number in **Sichuan**. In Taiwan it is less common, ranking 29th in a 2016 survey. Sources: [1][2] ## Famous people named Luo or Lo | Name | Chinese | Known for | | --- | --- | --- | | Luo Guanzhong (c. 1330 – c. 1400) | 罗贯中 | Author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the Four Great Classical Novels | | Lo Wei (1918–1996) | 罗维 | Hong Kong film director whose films launched the careers of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan | | Lo Ta-yu | 罗大佑 | Taiwanese singer-songwriter, a defining figure of 1980s Mandopop | | Andrew Lo | 罗闻全 | Hong Kong-born finance professor at MIT and founder of AlphaSimplex Group | | Luo Yunxi | 罗云熙 | Actor, known for the TV dramas Ashes of Love and Till the End of the Moon | > **Note: Same sound, different surname: 罗, 骆 and 卢** > > **骆 (Luò)** is a separate, much rarer surname, said with a falling tone and also romanised Lo or Loh. The Singaporean badminton player Loh Kean Yew, the 2021 world champion, is a 骆 (骆建佑), not a 罗. > > In Cantonese, **Lo** can also stand for 卢, which is Lu in Mandarin. If you need to know which family name someone has, ask for the character. Sources: [2][9] ## Questions **What does the surname Luo mean?** Luo (罗) takes its name from the ancient state of Luo, a small territory in what is now Hubei province. Its people later used the state’s name as their family name. **Is Luo a Chinese last name?** Yes. Luo (罗, traditional 羅) is a common Chinese surname, ranked 20th in mainland China in 2019. The same character is used in Vietnam (La) and Korea (Na or Ra). **How common is the Luo surname in China?** It ranked 20th in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. The Fuxi Institution counted about 12.6 million people named Luo in 2013, 0.95% of the population, with the most in Sichuan. **How do you pronounce Luo?** Roughly ‘lwaw’, one syllable with a rising tone (Luó): start with l, glide through a short u and end on an open ‘aw’. It is not ‘loo-oh’. **Is Lo the same as Luo?** Usually. Lo is the Cantonese and older Wade–Giles spelling of 罗 (羅). But Lo can also be the Cantonese spelling of 卢 (Lu), or of the rarer surname 骆 (Luò), so the character is the only sure guide. **Is Law a Chinese surname?** Yes. Law is a common Cantonese and Hakka spelling of 罗 (Luo), found in Hong Kong and among Cantonese families abroad. **Is Loh a Chinese surname?** Yes. Loh is used in Singapore and Malaysia for 罗 (Luo), but also for 骆, as with the badminton player Loh Kean Yew. ## Sources 1. [Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; Taiwan 2016 survey; romanisations)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_Chinese_surnames) — accessed 2026-11-01 2. [Wikipedia, Luo (surname)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luo_(surname)) — accessed 2026-11-01 3. [Behind the Name, Luo (surname)](https://surnames.behindthename.com/name/luo) — accessed 2026-11-01 4. [Wikipedia (Chinese), 罗贯中](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%BD%97%E8%B4%AF%E4%B8%AD) — accessed 2026-11-01 5. [Wikipedia, Lo Wei](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_Wei) — accessed 2026-11-01 6. [Wikipedia, Lo Ta-yu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_Ta-yu) — accessed 2026-11-01 7. [Wikipedia, Andrew Lo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Lo) — accessed 2026-11-01 8. [Wikipedia, Luo Yunxi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luo_Yunxi) — accessed 2026-11-01 9. [Wikipedia, Loh Kean Yew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loh_Kean_Yew) — accessed 2026-11-01 ## Related - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-names - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/liang - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/gao - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/zheng --- Canonical page: https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/luo