Our answer
China’s 23rd most common surname 谢
A surname traditionally traced to the ancient state of Xie, near Nanyang in today’s Henan province
The short answer
Xie (谢, traditional 謝, Xiè) is a Chinese surname ranked 23rd in China by the Ministry of Public Security in 2019. As an ordinary word the character means ‘to thank’. Tradition traces the name to the ancient state of Xie near Nanyang, Henan. It is spelled Hsieh in Taiwan, Tse in Hong Kong and Chia in Singapore and Malaysia.
| In Chinese | 谢 (simplified), 謝 (traditional) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Xiè (fourth, falling tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | 23rd, Ministry of Public Security list of the 100 most common surnames |
| Other spellings | Hsieh (Wade–Giles, Taiwan), Tse (Cantonese, Hong Kong), Chia, Cheah, Sia (Hokkien and Teochew), Tạ (Vietnamese) |
| Meaning of the character | ‘To thank’; as a surname it is traced to the ancient state of Xie |
| Largest in | Guangdong, the province with the most people named Xie (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
| Population | About 10.1 million, 0.76% of China’s population (Fuxi Institution, 2013) |
Origins of the Xie surname
The best-known tradition links the name to the state of Xie (谢国), near modern Nanyang in Henan. According to this account, King Xuan of Zhou, who reigned from 827 to 782 BCE, granted the former state of Xie to his maternal uncle, Shen Bo, the Marquess of Shen, and his people later took the name of the state as their surname. Most Xie today regard Shen Bo as their first ancestor.
Other traditions trace the name further back, to the descendants of the Yellow Emperor or of the Yan Emperor, and older genealogies such as the *Shiben* count Xie as one of the clans of the Ren (任) surname. These are legends rather than history, and they overlap.
The surname’s golden age was the Eastern Jin dynasty in the fourth century, when the Xie clan of Chen Commandery (陈郡谢氏) was one of the great aristocratic families of the southern court. The Tang poet Liu Yuxi’s line about swallows that once nested ‘in the halls of the Wang and the Xie’ (旧时王谢堂前燕) refers to them and to the Wang family. Later migrations carried Xie families into Fujian, Guangdong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, which is why the name has so many southern spellings.[3][4]
How Xie is spelled around the world
The character is the same everywhere; the spelling depends on the local language and the romanisation system used when the family registered its name.[1][3]
| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Xie | Mainland China | Mandarin, pinyin |
| Hsieh | Taiwan and older Western usage | Mandarin, Wade–Giles |
| Tse, Tze | Hong Kong | Cantonese |
| Chia, Cheah, Seah, Sia | Singapore and Malaysia (Chia is the most common) | Hokkien and Teochew |
| Sia, Sese | Philippines | Hokkien; Sese in Kapampangan |
| Tjia, Tjhia | Indonesia | Older Dutch-based spelling |
| Dea, Der | Chinese communities of Taishanese origin | Taishanese |
| Tạ | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Sa (사) | Korea | Korean |
Where the Xie surname is most common
Xie was the 23rd most common surname in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list, the same position it held in the Fuxi Institution’s 2013 ranking. Fuxi estimated about 10.1 million people named Xie in 2013, or 0.76% of the population, with Guangdong the province with the most. The top 100 surnames together cover 85.9% of China’s registered population, out of more than 6,000 surnames in use.
Most Xie live in southern China, and the name is also common in Taiwan, where it ranked 13th in 2016, and across Southeast Asia and North America. Hakka Xie families from Jiangxi moved into western Fujian and eastern Guangdong, and others settled in southern Fujian, Taiwan and the Nanyang, the old Chinese name for Southeast Asia.[1][2][3][4]
Famous people named Xie
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Xie An (320–385) | 谢安 | Eastern Jin statesman and prime minister, head of the Chen Commandery Xie clan |
| Xie Daoyun (340–399) | 谢道韫 | Jin dynasty poet, scholar and debater |
| Xie Lingyun (385–433) | 谢灵运 | Poet of the Jin dynasty |
| Xie He | 谢赫 | Art historian and critic of the Liu Song and Southern Qi dynasties |
| Xie Jin (1923–2008) | 谢晋 | Film director |
| Xie Xide (1921–2000) | 谢希德 | Physicist and president of Fudan University, the first woman to lead a university in the People’s Republic |
| Xie Jun (born 1970) | 谢军 | Chess player, twice Women’s World Chess Champion |
| Nicholas Tse | 谢霆锋 | Hong Kong singer and actor |
| Xie Na | 谢娜 | Television host, singer and actress |
| Aaron Chia (born 1997) | 谢定峰 | Malaysian badminton player |
Questions readers ask
What does the Xie surname mean?
As an everyday word, 谢 (xiè) means ‘to thank’, as in 谢谢 (xièxie), ‘thank you’. As a surname it is traditionally traced to the ancient state of Xie, near Nanyang in Henan, rather than to the word’s meaning.
Is Xie a Chinese last name?
Yes. Xie (谢) is a Chinese surname, ranked 23rd in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. Like other Chinese surnames, it comes first in a Chinese name, so Xie Na’s surname is Xie.
How common is the Xie surname in China?
It is the 23rd most common surname. The Fuxi Institution estimated about 10.1 million people named Xie in 2013, around 0.76% of the population, with Guangdong the province with the most.
How do you pronounce Xie?
In pinyin it is Xiè, with a falling fourth tone. The pinyin x is a soft ‘sh’ sound made with the tongue behind the lower teeth, so the name sounds roughly like ‘shyeh’, said briskly.
Is Hsieh the same as Xie?
Yes. Hsieh is the Wade–Giles spelling of the same name, still common in Taiwan and among families who emigrated before pinyin was adopted. In the United States Hsieh is sometimes said ‘Shay’.
Is Tse the same as Xie?
Usually, yes. Tse (or Tze) is the Cantonese spelling of 谢 used in Hong Kong, as with the singer and actor Nicholas Tse (谢霆锋).
Is Chia a Chinese surname?
Chia is the most common Singapore and Malaysia spelling of 谢, from its Hokkien and Teochew pronunciation. Cheah, Seah and Sia are other spellings of the same character.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; romanisation table) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 2019年全国姓名报告 (Ministry of Public Security Household Registration Administration Research Center, January 2020) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Xie (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia (Chinese), 谢姓 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction