Surname Overview
Surname Pronunciation
Miao is a rare surname, pronounced Miáo; this pronunciation is recorded in the Dictionary of Chinese Surnames Past and Present.
Miáo Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 13Miáo / Miao
Origins
Two Recorded Origins
One account traces the Miao surname mainly to the Jiang surname and descendants of the ancient Sanmiao; another traces it to the Hui people and associates it with a phonetic change from an official title among the descendants of the Ming-era western-region figure Tiem克里别儿.
Historical Records
Classical Attestations
The Taiping Huanyu Ji records Miao among the four surnames of Baling Commandery; the Tongya also records the surname in the Jiang, E, and Yue prefectures of Huguang.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
Recorded commandery origins are Ezhou, Yuezhou, and Pingba. Their hall names are Ezhou Hall, Yuezhou Hall, and Pingba Hall, with alternative names including Jiangxia, Echeng, Baling, Yueyang, Qianfu, Dianhou, and Yelang halls.
Migration and Distribution
Recorded Distribution
Hui people with the Miao surname are mainly distributed in Guizhou; other records place the surname in Dongchuan in Yunnan, Chengdu in Sichuan, and Nantou and Taipei in Taiwan.
Research Notes
The Zhaotong Branch
For the Miao surname branch that migrated from Yunnan to Guizhou, the record states that the Zhaotong Hui surname survey found no Miao surname and identified the branch as originally belonging to the Hu surname.
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