Surname Overview
A Rare Han Chinese Surname
Zhao, pronounced Zhāo, is a relatively rare Han Chinese surname recorded in the Shizulue sections of Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi.
Zhāo Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 4Zhāo / Chao
Origins
Origin Linked to Zhao Ming
One account traces the surname’s beginning to Zhao Ming, a minister of Yu of Xia who made the Yanli calendar.
Mi-Clan Origin in Chu
Another branch came from the Mi clan and descended from Yuxiong. Zhao, Qu, and Jing were regarded as the three clans of Chu, with accounts deriving Zhao either from a clan designation or a posthumous title.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
The Zhao surname is found in Shangcheng and Qixian in Henan, Jiading in Shanghai, Xingan in Jiangxi, and Huimin in Shandong, among other places.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Zhao Xixu served King Xuan of Chu during the Warring States period. Zhao Jiong, a native of Meizhou in the Song dynasty, attained the jinshi degree during the Yuanyou era.
Continue your family research
Start with ancestral counties, villages, personal names and dates. Record genealogy titles, volumes, editions and catalog identifiers. A shared surname does not prove a shared lineage; compare branch records.
Surname attestation references
These catalogs or datasets attest written names, not every origin or lineage claim on this page.
This page includes automatically organized material. Check the references and original family documents.
Add or correct information
Submit the information and a reference link for possible inclusion on this page.