臭 Surname

Surname Overview

A Rare Surname and Its Readings

The Chou surname is rare, with a population of fewer than one thousand. It is read fú, xiù, or xùn, never chòu.

Reference: 臭姓维客首页_万家姓

Origins

Origin in Ritual Worship

The first lineage arose from Sirius and ancient astronomical rituals; descendants adopted the religious title as their surname, pronounced fú.

Reference: 臭姓维客首页_万家姓

The Ji Lineage and Bagua Origin

The second lineage arose from the Ji surname and Bagua theory, adopting a natural phenomenon such as the Xun direction as a surname; Chou is pronounced xiù.

Reference: 臭姓维客首页_万家姓

Origin in the Xiaozhuan Profession

The third lineage arose from a Qin-period profession connected with Xiaozhuan. Xun people were also called Chou people, and their descendants adopted Chou as a surname, pronounced xùn.

Reference: 臭姓维客首页_万家姓

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commanderies and Hall Names

The commanderies are Danyang, Yiling, and Nan Commandery. Their hall names include Danyang Hall, Yiling Commandery, and Nan Commandery, also known as Runzhou Hall, Danyang Hall, Yichang Hall, Yingyi Hall, and Jiangling Hall.

Reference: 臭姓维客首页_万家姓

Migration and Distribution

Today, Chou families are distributed in Wuhan and Zhijiang in Hubei, Hanzhong in Shaanxi, and Chifeng in Inner Mongolia, among other places.

Reference: 臭姓维客首页_万家姓