Our answer
China’s 12th most common surname 孙
The character means ‘grandson’ or ‘descendant’; third name in the Hundred Family Surnames
The short answer
Sun (孙, traditional 孫, Sūn) is a Chinese surname, ranked 12th in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. The character means ‘grandson’ or ‘descendant’. It is spelled Suen in Hong Kong, Soon or Sng in Hokkien and Teochew, and Son in Korean and Japanese.
| In Chinese | 孙 (simplified) / 孫 (traditional) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Sūn (first, high level tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | 12th, Ministry of Public Security list |
| Other spellings | Suen (Cantonese), Soon / Sng (Hokkien, Teochew), Son (Korean, Japanese), Tôn (Vietnamese) |
| Meaning of the character | ‘Grandson’; ‘descendant’ |
| Most numerous in | Shandong province (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) |
| Population | About 18.3 million, 1.38% of mainland China (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) |
Origins of the Sun surname
As an ordinary word, 孙 means grandson or descendant, and the surname has more than one traditional origin. The best-known account says that an official of the state of Qi, Sun Shu, was granted the name by Duke Jing of Qi for his service in a war against the state of Lü. Sun Tzu, the strategist behind The Art of War, is said to descend from this line.
A later story says that under Emperor Xuan of Han some families named Xun (荀) changed their name to Sun, because the two sounded alike in the Chinese of the time; some kept it afterwards and others changed back.
Sun is the third name in the classic Hundred Family Surnames primer, which opens 赵钱孙李 (Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li).[2][3][4]
How Sun is spelled around the world
The spelling of 孙 depends on the dialect or language of the family and where the name was first written in Latin letters.[1][3]
| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Mainland China and Taiwan | Mandarin (Pinyin and Wade–Giles) |
| Suen | Hong Kong and other Cantonese-speaking areas | Cantonese |
| Soon | Hokkien-, Teochew- and Amoy-speaking families | Min Nan |
| Sng | Teochew-speaking families | Teochew |
| Soon, Suan, -son, -zon | Chinese Filipino families in the Philippines | Hokkien-based local spellings |
| Son | Korea and Japan | Korean and Japanese |
| Tôn | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
Where Sun is most common
Sun ranked 12th in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list of China’s 100 most common surnames. In the 2013 frequency list compiled by the Fuxi Institution it was also 12th, with about 18.3 million people, or 1.38% of the mainland population, and Shandong was the province with the most people named Sun. It is not the largest surname in any single province.[1][5]
Famous people named Sun
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Tzu (Sun Wu) | 孙子 (孙武) | Strategist and author of The Art of War (traditionally 544–496 BC) |
| Sun Bin | 孙膑 | Strategist of the Warring States period, said to descend from Sun Tzu |
| Sun Quan | 孙权 | Founding emperor of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms era (182–252) |
| Sun Simiao | 孙思邈 | Physician of the Tang era (581–682) |
| Stefanie Sun | 孙燕姿 | Singaporean singer-songwriter |
| Sun Yue | 孙悦 | Basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers |
| Fei Fei Sun | 孙菲菲 | Fashion model |
| Sun Wukong | 孙悟空 | Fictional: the Monkey King of the novel Journey to the West |
Questions readers ask
What does the Sun surname mean?
孙 means ‘grandson’ or ‘descendant’. It has nothing to do with the English word ‘sun’; the similarity is only in the spelling.
Is Sun a Chinese last name?
Yes. Sun (孙) is a Chinese surname and comes first in a Chinese name, as in Sun Quan. It was the 12th most common surname in China in 2019.
How common is Sun in China?
Very common. It was 12th in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking, and 2013 figures from the Fuxi Institution put it at about 18.3 million people, or 1.38% of the mainland population, with the most in Shandong.
How do you pronounce Sun?
In Mandarin it is Sūn, said on a high, level first tone. The vowel is not the ‘u’ of English ‘sun’: it sounds roughly like ‘swun’.
Is Suen the same as Sun?
Yes. Suen is the Cantonese spelling of 孙, used in Hong Kong. Soon and Sng are Hokkien and Teochew spellings, and Son is the Korean and Japanese reading of the same character.
Was Sun Tzu’s surname Sun?
Yes. Sun Tzu (孙子) is an honorific meaning ‘Master Sun’; his name is reported as Sun Wu (孙武). Tradition says he descended from Sun Shu, an official of the state of Qi who was granted the surname.
Is the Monkey King’s surname Sun?
Yes. Sun Wukong (孙悟空), the Monkey King of the novel Journey to the West, bears the surname 孙. He is fictional, but he is one of the best-known characters in Chinese literature.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; romanisations) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- MDBG Chinese dictionary, 孙 / 孫 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Sun (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Zhao (surname), on the Hundred Family Surnames · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 2019 national surname report from the Ministry of Public Security · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Sun Tzu · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction