Móu，又音mù Surname

Surname Overview

Pronunciation

The surname Mou is pronounced móu, and is also pronounced mù.

Reference: 牟姓起源分布与家谱家族

Origins

Surname Origin

The surname Mou originated from the Cao surname. After the state of Mouzi was conquered by Qi during the Zhou period, its descendants adopted the state name as their surname.

Reference: 牟姓起源分布与家谱家族

Ethnic Integration

The main incorporation of other ethnic groups into the Mou surname occurred during the Han and Jin periods. A branch of the Rang people among the Baiyue in the Fuling area of Sichuan bore the Mou surname and was soon assimilated into the Han Chinese population.

Reference: 牟姓起源分布与家谱家族

Historical Records

Ancient State and Homeland

The former territory of Mouzi was east of present-day Laiwu, Shandong, and it was a state without a surname in the Zhou period; it was traditionally said to have descended from Zhurong of the Yan Emperor's lineage.

Reference: 牟姓起源分布与家谱家族

Migration and Distribution

Distribution from Pre-Qin to Han-Jin

Before the Qin period, the Mou surname was mainly active in Shandong. During the Han and Jin periods, it expanded rapidly in the southwest with the incorporation of the Rang people in Sichuan.

Reference: 牟姓起源分布与家谱家族

Distribution in the Song and Ming Periods

In the Song period, the Mou surname was mainly distributed in Sichuan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Henan, and Fujian, with Sichuan accounting for about 61% of the total Mou population. In the Ming period, it was mainly distributed in Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang, with Shandong accounting for about 41%.

Reference: 牟姓起源分布与家谱家族