Surname Overview
Tai (traditional: 臺; pinyin: tái) is a relatively rare surname recorded in Zheng Tongzhi: Shizu Lüe.
Tai Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 36,268Tai / T'ai
Origins
Descendants of Tai Tai
One line descends from Tai Tai, a descendant of Shaohao Jintianshi, whose descendants adopted his name as their surname. Tai Tai's line served as chief water officials; he was enfeoffed at Fenchuan and was later revered as the deity of the Fen River.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Pinglu Commandery
The Tai (臺) surname's ancestral commandery is recorded as Pinglu.
Migration and Distribution
Modern Distribution
The Tai surname is found in Wuqing in Tianjin, Shangyi in Hebei, Pingdu and other places in Shandong, Taiyuan and Datong in Shanxi, Laohekou in Hubei, and Hekou in Yunnan.
Notable People
Late-Tang General Tai Meng
Tai Meng (855-904), courtesy name Dingyun, was a native of Hefei and a general under Yang Xingmi. He served as Defense Commissioner of Sizhou and later as Commissioner of Lianshui.
Research Notes
Character Simplification
The character 臺 is now simplified as 台. They were formerly two distinct surnames but came to share the same written form after simplification.
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