Surname Overview
The surname Mao is pronounced máo, has about 420,000 people, is a common surname, and ranks 245th.
Mao Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 91,866Mao / Mao
Origins
Main Origins
The surname Mao mainly derives from the Ji and Gui surnames. The listed ancestral figures include Mao Shu, the fifth son of the Duke of Zhou; Xian Mao, a Jin grandee; Mao Yihong, a grandee of Zhu; and Mao Jiao, a Qin grandee.
Historical Records
Texts and Early Figures
The Zheng Tongzhi: Shizulüe records the Mao surname. Related records also list Mao Di and Mao Yihong, grandee officials of Zheng in the Spring and Autumn period, and Mao Jiao, a Qin-era erudite official.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
The Mao surname has the commanderies of Donghai, Chenliu, and Jinling as its noted ancestral regions. Its hall names are Donghai Hall, Chenliu Hall, and Jinling Hall, each established from its commandery designation.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution and Migration
Mao clans are distributed in Nantong and Wujiang in Jiangsu; Hangzhou in Zhejiang; Jinan and Tancheng in Shandong; and Fuqing, Putian, Xianyou, Youxi, Datian, and Shaxian in Fujian. Maojiabu in Hangzhou was formerly inhabited mostly by Mao families.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Historical figures include Mao Jiao of the Qin dynasty, Mao Rong of the Eastern Han, Mao Kun of the Ming dynasty, Mao Zhizhi of the Song dynasty, and the modern water conservancy expert Mao Qian.
Research Notes
Divergent Accounts
Accounts of the origin of the Mao surname differ. One account traces it to an ancient Rong state whose former territory lay southeast of present-day Cao County, Shandong, while noting that it is unknown whether this branch descended from the Mao state.
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