---
title: "Wu (吴): the surname of the ancient state of Wu, and why it is often Ng"
url: https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/wu
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/wu
---

# Wu (吴): the surname of the ancient state of Wu, and why it is often Ng

_Wu is one of the ten most common surnames in China, and in Hong Kong and among Cantonese families abroad it is usually written Ng. Here is where the name comes from, how it is spelled across Asia and the West, which other surnames share the spellings Wu and Ng, and some well-known people who carry it._

**Verdict: China’s 9th most common surname** (吴) — Named after the ancient state of Wu in today’s Jiangsu; written Ng in Cantonese

## Short answer

Wu (吴, traditional 吳, Wú) is a Chinese surname, ranked 9th in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. It comes from the ancient state of Wu in today’s Jiangsu. In Cantonese it is spelled Ng, in Hokkien Goh or Go, and in Shanghainese Woo.

## At a glance

- **In Chinese:** 吴 (simplified) / 吳 (traditional)
- **Pinyin:** Wú (second, rising tone)
- **Rank in China (2019):** 9th, Ministry of Public Security list
- **Other spellings:** Ng (Cantonese and Hakka), Goh / Go / Ngo (Min Nan), Woo (Shanghainese), Ngô (Vietnamese), Oh (Korean)
- **Meaning of the character:** The name of the ancient state of Wu, in present-day Jiangsu
- **Most numerous in:** Guangdong province (2013 Fuxi Institution figures)
- **Population:** About 26.8 million, 2.00% of mainland China (2013 Fuxi Institution figures)

## Origins of the Wu surname

The surname takes its name from the ancient **state of Wu** (吴), in what is now Jiangsu province. Tradition says King Tai of Zhou had three sons, Taibo, Zhongyong and Jili, and favoured the youngest, Jili. The two elder brothers left for the south-east and founded the state of Wu, and their descendants later took the state’s name as their surname.

Because of that shared ancestry, Wu is traditionally linked with the Zhou royal house and with the surnames Zhou and Ji. Two famous figures of the state are the strategist Wu Zixu and Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, both of whom served King Helü of Wu.

Sources: [2]

## How Wu is spelled around the world

The spelling of 吴 depends on the dialect the family spoke when the name was first written in Latin letters. [1][2][3]

| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wu | Mainland China and Taiwan | Mandarin (Pinyin and Wade–Giles) |
| Ng | Hong Kong and Cantonese families abroad | Cantonese and Hakka |
| Eng, Ing, Ang, Ung | The United States and Australia | Anglicised forms of Ng |
| Goh, Go, Ngo, Gouw | Hokkien-speaking families, including the Philippines, where Go is one of the most common Chinese Filipino surnames | Min Nan |
| Woo | Shanghai and families from the Shanghai area | Shanghainese (Wu Chinese) |
| Ngô | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Oh (O) | Korea | Korean |

> **Note: Is Ng always Wu?**
>
> Mostly, but not always. **Ng** is the Cantonese spelling of two different surnames: **吴** (Mandarin Wú, this page) and **伍** (Mandarin Wǔ), a separate surname. 吴 is the more common of the two.
>
> Ng is also used for Hokkien surnames: **黄** (Mandarin Huáng; see our [Huang surname](/culture/chinese-surnames/huang) page) and **阮** (Mandarin Ruǎn). If you need to know which family name an Ng has, ask for the Chinese character.

Sources: [3]

## Other surnames that sound like Wu

- **伍 Wǔ** – a different surname, also spelled Ng in Cantonese.
- **武 Wǔ** – another separate surname, with a different tone from 吴.
- **邬 Wū** (traditional 鄔) – a rarer surname with a level tone.
- **巫 Wū** – the character means ‘shaman’; rare as a surname, but associated with some Malaysians of Chinese descent.
- **胡 Hú** – in Cantonese this surname is written **Wu** or **Woo**, especially in Hong Kong and Malaysia, so a Hong Kong ‘Wu’ is often 胡, not 吴.

Sources: [2]

## Where Wu is most common

Wu ranked **9th** 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 8th, with about **26.8 million** people, or 2.00% of the mainland population, and **Guangdong** was the province with the most people named Wu.

It is also a large surname outside the mainland. In a 2016 survey in Taiwan, 吳 was the 7th most common surname, at 4.04% of residents, and Go (吳) is among the ten most common surnames of Chinese Filipinos. In Korea, the same character gives the surname Oh, one of the most common Korean surnames.

Sources: [1][2]

## Famous people named Wu (and Ng)

| Name | Chinese | Known for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wu Qi | 吴起 | General of the state of Chu and author of the military classic Wuzi |
| Wu Cheng’en | 吴承恩 | Author of the novel Journey to the West |
| Wu Zao | 吴藻 | Qing dynasty poet (1799–1862) |
| Wu Jianquan | 吴鉴泉 | Taijiquan teacher (1870–1942) |
| Chien-Shiung Wu | 吴健雄 | Experimental physicist (1912–1997) |
| Wu Wenjun | 吴文俊 | Mathematician (1919–2017) |
| John Woo | 吴宇森 | Hong Kong film director |
| Andrew Ng | 吴恩达 | Computer scientist and entrepreneur |

## Questions

**What does the Wu surname mean?**

吴 is the name of the ancient state of Wu, in what is now Jiangsu. Tradition says it was founded by Taibo and Zhongyong, sons of King Tai of Zhou, and their descendants took the state’s name as their surname.

**Is Wu a Chinese last name?**

Yes. Wu (吴) is a Chinese surname and, in Chinese order, comes before the given name. It was the 9th most common surname in China in 2019. Other surnames, such as 武, 伍 and 邬, are also romanised Wu.

**How common is Wu in China?**

Very common. It was 9th in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking, and 2013 figures from the Fuxi Institution put it at about 26.8 million people, or 2.00% of the mainland population, with the most in Guangdong.

**How do you pronounce Wu?**

In Mandarin 吴 is Wú, with a rising second tone, like ‘woo’ said as a question. In Cantonese it is Ng, a humming nasal sound similar to the ‘ng’ at the end of ‘sing’.

**Is Ng the same as Wu?**

Often. Ng is the Cantonese spelling of 吴 (Wu), but also of 伍, a different surname pronounced Wǔ in Mandarin. In Hokkien, Ng can also stand for 黄 (Huang) and 阮 (Ruan).

**Is Goh a Chinese surname?**

Yes. Goh, and Go in the Philippines, are Hokkien (Min Nan) spellings of 吴, the surname written Wu in Mandarin and Ng in Cantonese.

**Is Woo the same as Wu?**

It can be. Woo is the Shanghainese spelling of 吴, but in Hong Kong and Malaysia Wu or Woo is often the Cantonese spelling of 胡, the surname written Hu in Mandarin.

## Sources

1. [Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; Taiwan 2016 survey; Chinese Filipino surnames)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_Chinese_surnames) — accessed 2026-11-01
2. [Wikipedia, Wu (surname)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_(surname)) — accessed 2026-11-01
3. [Wikipedia, Ng (surname)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng_(surname)) — accessed 2026-11-01

## Related

- https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames
- https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-names
- https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/huang
- https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/hu
- https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-surnames/zhou

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