Surname Overview
The surname Miao is pronounced miào and is a relatively rare Han Chinese surname in current use.
妙 Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 43Origins
Origin
The surname Miao originated among the Western Qiang people in the Song period; it appears in the History of Song and also in the Xingyuan.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Xu Tongzhi: Shizu Lue records that the surname first appears in the Xingyuan; the Kaolue of Surnames, based on the History of Song, notes that “the Western Qiang had the surname Miao.”
Migration and Distribution
Distribution and Migration
The surname Miao is distributed in Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi, Taiwan, and also in Zhejiang, Fujian, Henan, Hebei, Beijing, Yunnan, and Gansu.
Notable People
Historical Figures
In the Song period, Miao Yizhen of Nanyang was skilled at painting; in the Ming period, Miao Ling served as a commander of the Hezhou Guard.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Migration of the Shandong Branch
The genealogy of the Shandong branch records that it moved from Hongdong in Shanxi during the Yongle period of the Ming dynasty.
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Surname attestation references
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