Xiao / Hsiao
After the simplified-character reform of the 1970s, all meanings of “萧” were merged into “肖,” so many people surnamed Xiao began writing their surname as 肖. After the reform was abolished, some did not change it back because of household-registration restrictions.
The surname 肖 did exist historically, but it was extremely rare, pronounced with the fourth tone, and had a different origin from the surname 萧.
Volume 103 of Wanxing Tongpu records Xiao Angu of the Han dynasty, as well as Xiao Shi, Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Tong; it also records Xiao Jing of Xiangcheng, a successful candidate in the local examination during the Xuande period.
Among the surname database’s genetic-testing users, Xiao ancestral origins are concentrated mainly in Hunan, Sichuan, and Hubei, accounting for 15.0%, 12.3%, and 9.3%, respectively.
The surname 肖 is largely absent in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities. This indirectly indicates that most 肖 surnames in mainland China today are related to the conversion of 萧 caused by the simplified-character reform.
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