Origins
Yao Mountain as a Surname Origin
In ancient times, a place called Yao Mountain existed in the Central Plains. The tribe living there took the mountain as its surname, forming the Yao lineage; the Classic of Mountains and Seas mentions the Yao Mountain tribe.
Surname from the Yao River Basin
Before the Qin period, villages along the Yellow River tributary called the Yao River used the river's name as a surname; Warring States bamboo slips excavated at the Shaanxi Yao River site record a Yao-surname family name.
Surname from the Yao Fief
During the Western Zhou period, the king of Zhou granted the fief called Yao to meritorious nobles, whose recipients took the name of the fief as their surname; Yao Bo, grandee of Yao, is recorded as a descendant of this branch.
Surname from a Tribal Totem
In ancient times, a tribe used Yao as its totem, and its members took the totem as their surname; Yao symbolized the unity of heaven, earth, and humanity, and later developed into the Yao surname.
Surname from City-Building Craftsmen
During the Shang and Zhou periods, craftsmen responsible for building city walls were called Yao masters; during the Spring and Autumn period, skilled city-building craftsmen in Lu were called Yao people, and their families took the occupation as their surname.