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Surname Qiao - Meaning and Origin

all surnames with 'Q'

Qiao: What does the surname Qiao mean?

The last name Qiao is a Chinese family name which is originated from two different sources. It can be the combination of two smaller surnames, Qi and Ao (or Aur), or it can be a variation of an ancient Chinese surname, Guo/Ku honoring the ancestor Guo Shuang.

Qiao is typically the Mandarin Chinese Romanization for the surname. It can also be variably rendered as Ch’iao, Chiao, Chiao, Kiao, Qao etc.

In Chinese culture, the surname Qiao stands for the virtue of filial piety and descendant respect. It is said that the original ancestor, Guo Shuang, was very good at keeping good relationships with his descendants and allowing them to keep their own surnames. This is why some of his descendants kept their own surnames while others chose to combine their surnames into a new one - Qiao.

The descendants of Qiao also have a strong sense of ambition and courage. Historically, many of the members of the Qiao family rose to become prominent political and military figures.

Due to its neutral meaning and origins, the surname Qiao is quite common now in China, with millions of people bearing this family name. It is not only found in certain provinces or cities, but is distributed throughout China. Even overseas Chinese communities are seeing more people taking the surname Qiao, especially those living in East Asian countries such as Taiwan and Japan.

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Qiao: Where does the name Qiao come from?

The last name Qiao is most common in China, with over 3.4 million people carrying the name as of 2020. It is also one of the most common Chinese surnames, being the 45th most common for all of China.

Outside of China, the last name Qiao is much less prevalent. In the United States, for example, there are only about 4,509 people who live in the country and bear the surname, making it the 1,033rd most common in the United States. That number is bigger than it used to be, although the population of Qiao Americans has grown a bit over the last few decades due to immigration from China.

The last name is also fairly common in Canada, although even there it is far from the most common. According to census data, there are 2,373 people who carry the surname in Canada, making it the 625th most common last name in the country.

In the larger world, the last name Qiao is much less common. There are only about 45,000 people who have the name in total throughout the world, outside of China. This places the name in the 2,543rd most popular last name in the world overall. Most of these people are scattered throughout various countries around the world, but most live in North America, followed closely by Australia and Europe.

So, while the last name Qiao is most common in China, it is also found throughout the world. It may not be incredibly widespread, but it is significant enough that many people across the world share this last name.

Variations of the surname Qiao

The surname Qiao is a Chinese surname originating from the surname Jiǎo. It is one of the most common surnames in China and is also found in other parts of East Asia. Variations of the surname Qiao can include, Jiao, Jiau, Chiau, Chiao, Qiau, Chüeh, Ciou, and Chiu.

The pronunciation of the surname has many variations depending on which dialect of Chinese is spoken. In the Mandarin language, the surname Qiao is pronounced "ch-yow”, in Cantonese it is "ke-ow”, and in Hokkien it is "Kiao".

In addition to the variations in the surname spelling, there are many different surnames which are derived from the same origin. For example, Cao, Kao, Hsiao, Shen, Xie, Juo, Hsieh, Xie, and Liou are all variants of the same surname origin.

The surname Qiao or any of its variants may have been slightly adapted by various regions or languages over time, but all have the same origin. It is an ancient Chinese surname which can be traced back to an ancestor named Jiao. The name can have a variety of meanings depending on the characters used. Most commonly, it is translated to mean "command, instruct, or teach".

Famous people with the name Qiao

  • Qiao Liang: Qiao Liang is a Chinese Air Force Colonel, noted for his prolific works in the defense field. He is also known as one of the fathers of China’s modern air defense systems.
  • Qiao Feng: Qiao Feng is a pseudonym of Zhang Henshui, a Chinese novelist born in Sichuan province in 1914. He is best known for his wuxia novels which were made into a television series by Taiwan’s CCTV.
  • Qiao Renliang: Qiao Renliang was a popular Chinese actor and singer. He was born in 1986 and rose to fame after his role in the TV drama series ‘Hit Falls in Love’.
  • Qiao Jin: Qiao Jin is a Chinese writer and journalist. He won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature for his narratives depicting the lives of ordinary people in turbulent times.
  • Qiao Xueying: Qiao Xueying is a Chinese artist specializing in oil painting. She won several painting competitions during her career and her painting ‘A Day of Childhood’ won the Silver Prize award at the 8th National Art Exhibition in 2008.
  • Qiao Shi: Qiao Shi was a prominent Chinese politician who held the post of the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1989 to 2002. During his tenure, he oversaw China’s economic and political reforms, leading to its growth as a superpower.
  • Qiao Yuhao: Qiao Yuhao is a professional Chinese badminton player. He was the runner-up at the 2018 World Championships and won the 2018 Asian Games doubles gold medal. He has won many Super Series titles in his career and is currently ranked number one in the world for men’s doubles.

Other surnames

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