Our answer
China’s 8th most common surname 赵
The name of an ancient state, the surname of the Song emperors and the first surname in the Hundred Family Surnames
The short answer
Zhao (赵, traditional 趙, Zhào) is a Chinese surname, ranked 8th in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. It is the name of an ancient feudal state of the Zhou dynasty, and it heads the Hundred Family Surnames because it was the Song emperors’ surname. Common spellings abroad include Chao, Chiu and Teo.
| In Chinese | 赵 (simplified) / 趙 (traditional) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Zhào (fourth, falling tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | 8th, Ministry of Public Security list |
| Other spellings | Chao (Wade–Giles), Chiu (Cantonese), Teo / Teoh (Hokkien and Teochew), Triệu (Vietnamese), Jo (Korean) |
| Meaning of the character | The name of a feudal state of the Zhou dynasty |
| Most numerous in | Henan province (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) |
| Population | About 26.7 million, 2.00% of mainland China (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) |
Origins of the Zhao surname
Tradition traces the Zhao surname to Zaofu (造父), a legendary charioteer said to have lived around 950 BC. In the story, he drove King Mu of Zhou’s team of eight horses on a journey to the west, and the king rewarded him with a city called Zhao (趙) for his descendants. Zaofu is counted as the ancestor of the Zhao clan, although many people named Zhao probably descend from the residents of the later state of Zhao rather than from one family.
That clan went on to rule the State of Zhao, one of the feudal states of the Zhou period, and the character itself is the name of that state. Zaofu belonged to the House of Ying, the same lineage as the founder of the state of Qin, and the First Emperor of China appears in some sources as Zhao Zheng.[2][3]
How Zhao is spelled around the world
The same character, 赵 or 趙, is romanised differently depending on the dialect of the family and the system used when the name was first written in Latin letters.[1][2]
| Spelling | Where | Language or system |
|---|---|---|
| Zhao | Mainland China | Mandarin, Hanyu Pinyin |
| Chao | Taiwan, Hong Kong and older Western texts | Mandarin, Wade–Giles |
| Chiu | Hong Kong | Cantonese |
| Chew, Chu, Jew, Siu | Cantonese-speaking families, including overseas | Cantonese variants |
| Teo, Teoh | Hokkien- and Teochew-speaking families | Min Nan |
| Triệu | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Jo (Cho) | Korea | Korean |
Where Zhao is most common
Zhao ranked 8th in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list of China’s 100 most common surnames, which together cover 85.9% of the registered population. It is not the largest surname in any province: that title goes mostly to Wang, Li and Chen.
In the 2013 frequency list compiled by the Fuxi Institution, Zhao was 9th, with about 26.7 million people, or 2.00% of the mainland population, and Henan was the province with the most people named Zhao. The traditional form 趙 is used in Taiwan and Hong Kong.[1][4]
Famous people named Zhao
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Zhao Yun | 赵云 | General of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms era |
| Zhao Kuangyin | 赵匡胤 | Founder of the Song dynasty (Emperor Taizu) |
| Zhao Ji (Emperor Huizong) | 赵佶 | Eighth Song emperor, also a poet, painter, calligrapher and musician |
| Zhao Mengfu | 赵孟頫 | Calligrapher and painter, a descendant of the Song imperial family |
| Yuen Ren Chao | 赵元任 | Linguist |
| Zhao Benshan | 赵本山 | Comedian, actor and director |
| Zhao Liying | 赵丽颖 | Actress |
Questions readers ask
What does the Zhao surname mean?
赵 is the name of a feudal state of the Zhou dynasty. Tradition says King Mu of Zhou granted a city called Zhao to the charioteer Zaofu, whose clan later ruled the State of Zhao, and the surname comes from that place name.
Is Zhao a Chinese last name?
Yes. Zhao (赵) is a Chinese surname and in China it comes first, before the given name, as in Zhao Liying. It was ranked the 8th most common surname in China in 2019.
How common is Zhao in China?
Very common. It was 8th in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking, and 2013 figures from the Fuxi Institution put it at about 26.7 million people, or 2.00% of the mainland population.
How do you pronounce Zhao?
In Mandarin it is Zhào, with a falling fourth tone. The ‘zh’ is close to the English ‘j’ in ‘jam’, and ‘ao’ rhymes with ‘now’, so it sounds roughly like ‘jow’.
Is Chao the same surname as Zhao?
Usually, yes. Chao is the Wade–Giles spelling of 趙, still common in Taiwan, Hong Kong and older Western texts. Chiu is the Cantonese spelling and Teo the Hokkien and Teochew one.
Why is Zhao first in the Hundred Family Surnames?
Because the primer was compiled under the Song dynasty, whose emperors were surnamed Zhao. Its order reflects status at the time, not how many people had each name.
Where do most people named Zhao live?
In the 2013 Fuxi Institution figures, Henan was the province with the most people surnamed Zhao. It is found throughout China, but it is not the largest surname in any single province.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; romanisations) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Zhao (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Zaofu · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- The Paper (澎湃新闻), 2019 national surname report from the Ministry of Public Security · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction