Hsiao
Encyclopedia
Chinese surname
Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
. In the Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
system of romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
, it is rendered as Hsiao. It may also be romanized as Siew, Siow or Siu.
A 1977 study found that it was the 20th most common Chinese surname
Chinese surname
Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
in the world. It is said to be the 30th most common in China.
History
The Xiao family originated from Xiao CountyXiao County
Xiao County is a county of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Suzhou city....
in Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
province, China. In the kingdom of Xiao (萧国) in ancient China, an emperor took the name Xiao DaXin (萧大心) during the Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
; he was the first Xiao. After him, Xiao He
Xiao He
Xiao He was a Chinese statesman who lived during the early Han Dynasty. He served Liu Bang during the insurrection against the Qin Dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han contention against Xiang Yu. After the founding of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He became chancellor and held office until...
was the first prime minister of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
. Later on, his descendant Xiao Biao (萧彪) and his family moved to Lanling (兰陵), now Fengxian (峰县) in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province, due to political problems during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...
. The Xiao people therefore also trace their history to Lanling, and sometimes they are called Lanling Xiao (“兰陵萧”).
Another mass movement of Xiao people came during Western Jin Dynasty "Yongjia Rebellion" (西晋永嘉之乱), Xiao Chen (萧整) moved to Danyang (江苏省丹阳市). It was also called South Lanling (南兰陵). The descendants of Danyang Xiao (丹阳萧氏) later founded two dynasties: Xiao Daocheng (萧道成) founded the Southern Qi
Southern Qi
The Southern Qi Dynasty was the second of the Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Liang Dynasty. During its 23-year history, the dynasty was largely filled with instability, as after the death of the capable Emperor Gao and Emperor Wu, Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Zhaoye was assassinated...
(南齐) dynasty and become the emperor; and Xiao Yan (萧衍) founded the Southern Liang dynasty (南梁) and became the emperor.
During the Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(唐朝), there were 9(8+1) Xiao family members appointed as prime ministers, the continuous eight prime ministers(八叶传芳” 、“八叶世家”). The first was 唐贞观朝宰相萧瑀, followed by the other eight Xiao family; his great grand nephew (曾侄孙) Xiao Song(唐开元朝宰相萧嵩)，Xiao Song's eldest son Xiao Hwa (萧嵩长子，唐上元宰相萧华)，Xiao Hwa's nephew Xiao Fu 萧华的侄子、唐肃宗朝宰相萧復，Xiao Hwa's grandson Xiao Foo (萧华的孙子，唐穆宗朝宰相萧俯)，Xiao Fu's grandson Xiao Zhen (萧復的孙子，唐咸通朝宰相萧真)，Xiao Hwa's grandson Xiao Fan (萧华的孙子、唐咸通朝宰相萧仿)，Xiao Fan's son Xiao Gou (萧仿的儿子、唐中和宰相萧遘). There were altogether 9 prime ministers in Tang Dynasty.
The Jiang family (江氏) from Jiangwan 江湾, Wuyuan 婺源, Anhui 安徽省 Province (now Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
, 江西省) was actually from the Xiao family, they called themselves Xiao Jiang family (萧江氏). Xiao Jiang family was actually Xiao family from Danyang (丹阳 (南兰陵) 东城里萧氏). When the Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
(后梁) took over Tang Dynasty (907年朱温篡唐，改国号为梁，史称五代后梁), Xiao Zhen (萧桢) a general with Tang Dynasty revolted against Later Liang Dynasty but failed. Xiao Zhen was the 2nd son of late Tang Prime Minister Xiao Gou (唐末宰相萧遘次子萧桢). The Xiao family left Danyang and escape to the south. They changed their surname to Jiang, Xiao Zhen (萧桢) become Jiang Zhen (江桢), and he was the founder of Xiao Jiang family (萧江氏始祖). They later moved to Yinwan (云湾), which changed the name to Jiangwan (江湾). So Xiao Jiang family is also from Xiao family. The former President of China, Mr Jiang Zeming (江泽民）is from Xiao Jiang family, is actually Xiao family.
During Southern Song dynasty (南宋), Xiao Guoliang (萧国梁) is the pioneer of Zhangzhou, Fujian Province Xiao people (福建漳州萧氏的开基始祖). His grandson, Xiao Xun (萧洵) was the county magistrate of Chaoyang (潮阳), Guangdong. He become the founder of Chaoyangxiao (潮阳萧氏的开基始祖). There were Xiao family moved across the sea to Taiwan island during this period.
During Yuan dynasty, Xiao people moved from Jiangxi(江西) to Guangdong, Meizhou (广东梅州) and Dapu (大埔). They are mainly the Hakka Xiao.
In the early Ming dynasty, there were declining population in the north China & central (中原地区) due to the wars. The Ming government in order to increase the population, and to start the economic recovery in these war torn area, organized many large scale forced mass migration to the area. From the area less affected by the war in Shanxi Province, moved to the war torn less populated area of the North and Central China. The people are ordered to move to a location near "the tree"(大槐树), and ready for the family migration. The Shanxi-xiao are also included in the large concentration of "immigrants under the tree" (在大槐树下集中移民), which were moved to Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shanxi and other places. Today, Xiao people still dedicated to their ancestor of the "immigrants under the tree", the memorial tablets (萧姓迁民始祖牌位) at the fourth cabinet of the memorial hall at the "large tree roots memorial garden" (大槐树寻根祭祖园祭祖堂四号供橱).
During Ming dynasty, many of the Xiao family from the armies also moved into the Yunnan(云南), they become the pioneer of Yunnan Xiao(云南萧氏).
During Ming (明朝)and Qing dynasty(清朝), there were also mass migration of Xiao people from Jiangxi(江西)to Sichuan(四川). This was especially end of both Yuan(元末) & Ming (明末)dynasty,where there were two major revolution wars. The historian called the process of mass migration as "Jiangxi filled Huguang, Huguang filled Sichuan"("江西填湖广，湖广填四川"). Huguang is the province of Hunan & Kwangtung. According to historical materials, from the beginning of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong years, Xiao had huge wave of millions people moved to Sichuan.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty(清朝), Chinese begin the labour migration to other countries, and Xiao people also later traveled/moved to all over the world e.g. Vietnam,Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia. There were also migration from Fujian province to Taiwan.
During the civil war in Modern China, Xiao people (especially from Fujian) moved to Taiwan with Kok Ming Tang armies. In Taiwan, Xiao live primarily in the cities and counties of Changhua(彰化), Chiayi(嘉义), Taipei(台北), Kaohsiung(高雄)and Taoyuan(桃园).Today, Xiao is the 30th-most common surname in Taiwan's total population.
In Malaysia & Singapore (former colony of the British empire, and used direct translation from the various Chinese dialects), the Hokkian or Teochew Chinese romanized "Xiao" as "Seow". Teochew "Seow" are mainly Chaoyangxiao(潮阳萧氏) from Chaoyang(潮阳), Kwangtung(广东省), China. The Hakka "Xiao"Chinese(客籍萧氏), especially Huichew Hakka (客籍广东惠州萧氏)of Titi(知知港) (in Negeri Sembilan state of Malaysia), a village town with a high concentration of Hakka people with the surname of Xiao, romanized "Xiao" as "Siow" or "Seow". The young may also use "Xiao" if they follow pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
.
The World Congress of Xiao people was held in Chaoyang(潮阳),Kwangtung Province(广东省), China in 2010.
Simplified Chinese problem
The traditional surname 蕭 is currently represented by three different characters derived from traditional Chinese (蕭), simplified Chinese (萧), and the rescinded second-round simplification (肖). Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Malaysia and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
maintain traditional Chinese characters and therefore write 蕭. In mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
which use simplified Chinese, most linguistics agree the surname should be written as 萧. However, many people in mainland China still have 肖 as their surname in their legal documents for historical reasons (see below). In mainland China, people may regard them as two separate surnames. However, in circumstances where traditional Chinese is used, e.g. in cross-strait relations
Cross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations refers to the relations between People's Republic of China and the Republic of China , which lie to the west and east, repectively, of the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean....
, this may lead to confusion.
People have long been writing the surname 肖 for simplicity, but the form was considered informal and not used in formal texts. However, the second-round Chinese simplification
Second-round simplified Chinese character
The second round of Chinese character simplification, made by official document Second Chinese Character Simplification Scheme to introduce second round of simplified Chinese characters, was an aborted orthography reform promulgated on 20 December 1977 by the People's Republic of China...
established 肖 as the standard form. When the second-round simplification was rescinded in 1984, some people restored their surname in legal documents to the traditional writing form, but some others did not.
Most other surnames do not share these problems. For example, Liao
Liao (surname)
Liao is a Chinese surname, most commonly found in Southern China. Statistics show it is among the 100 most common surnames in mainland China.In Cantonese Romanization, one of the most common schemes for transliterating Cantonese, it is read as Liu...
(廖) was simplified to a character with 广 and 了 combined in the second-round simplification. All Liao people reverted to using 廖 after the rescission, because the modification is no longer considered a valid character and cannot be typed into the computer. However, 肖, which has other meanings, is still valid so some people have continued to use this form even in legal documents.
Notable people surnamed Xiao
- Xiao HeXiao HeXiao He was a Chinese statesman who lived during the early Han Dynasty. He served Liu Bang during the insurrection against the Qin Dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han contention against Xiang Yu. After the founding of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He became chancellor and held office until...
, one of the most highly regarded statesmen in Chinese history and the first Prime Minister of the Han DynastyHan DynastyThe Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
. - Empress Dowager Xiao, known under the title "Grand Empress DowagerGrand Empress DowagerThe title Grand Empress Dowager was given to the grandmother or a woman from the grandmother generation of the Chinese, Korean. Japanese dynastic ruler. Some grand empress dowagers held regency within the beginning years of reign of an underage or young emperor...
", during the LiaoLiaoLiao can mean:* Liao Dynasty , a former dynasty in northern China founded by the Khitan people**Northern Liao , state founded by the Khitans in northern China...
Dynasty. - Seow Poh LengSeow poh lengSeow Poh Leng , one of the first few Peranakan Babas at Emerald Hill, was a prominent and successful Singaporean banker, founding member of the Ho Hong Bank, member of the committee of the Straits Settlement , philanthropist and benefactor of public development works...
(1883–1942), a prominent and successful Singaporean banker, founding member of the Ho Hong Bank, member of the committee of the Straits Settlement (Settlement of Singapore)[1] famous philanthropist and benefactor of public development works. - Xiao HongXiao HongXiao Hong , also spelled Hsiao Hung, was a Chinese writer. Her real name was Zhang Naiying ; she also used the pen name Qiao Yin.Xiao Hong was born in Hulan county, Heilongjiang Province, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival to a landowning family. Her mother died when Xiao Hong was young, and...
, Chinese writer (1911–1942) - Seow Sieu JinSeow Sieu JinSeow Sieu Jin was a prominent and successful Singaporean banker brought up in a banking family, trained in China and England and was an important contributor to the growth and development of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation during its early years.Seow Sieu Jin's great-grandfather was from...
(1907–1958) was a prominent and successful Singaporean banker brought up in a banking family, trained in China and England and was an important contributor to the growth and development of the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) during its early years. - Xiao KeXiao KeXiao Ke was a general in the People's Liberation Army of China, former vice chairman of the CPPCC, as well as principal of the University of Military and Politics.-Early life:Xiao was born in Jiahe County, Hunan Province of China....
, General in the PLAPeople's Liberation ArmyThe People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
of China - Elva HsiaoElva HsiaoElva Hsiao, also known as Elva Siu, was born on 24 August 1979. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer.-Biography:She was educated at John Casablanca's College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is fluent in both written and spoken English. While in Vancouver, she attended the New Talent Singing...
, Taiwanese singer - Hsiao Bi-khimHsiao Bi-khimHsiao Bi-khim is a Taiwanese political figure associated with the Democratic Progressive Party , serving in the past as a legislator, as well as an important figure in DPP foreign policy circles. She is also a Vice President of Liberal International....
, Taiwanese legislator - William HsiaoWilliam HsiaoWilliam C. Hsiao an American economist, is the K.T. Li Professor of Economics at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts...
, Xiao from JiangxiJiangxi' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
. American economist, K.T. Li Professor of Economics at Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, USA. He is internationally recognized for his work in health care financing and social insurance. - Vincent SiewVincent SiewVincent C. Siew Wan-chang is the incumbent Vice President of the Republic of China. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former vice-chairman of the Kuomintang .-Biography:...
, Vice President of the Republic of ChinaVice President of the Republic of ChinaThe Vice President of the Republic of China is the second-highest executive official of the Republic of China . The existing office was created in 1948 under the 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China... - Francis SeowFrancis SeowFrancis Seow is a Singapore-born political dissident who is in exile from Singapore after lawsuits by the former Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew. He was educated at Saint Joseph's Institution in Singapore and at the Middle Temple in London...
, a Singapore-born political dissident who is in exile from Singapore after lawsuits by the former Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew. Seow is currently a United States citizen, and a University Fellow based in the Department of Asian Studies at Harvard University. - Siu Fong Fong, Siao Liang or Josephine SiaoJosephine SiaoJosephine Siao Fong-Fong MBE is a Hong Kong movie star who became popular as a child actress and continued her success as a mature actress, winning numerous awards including Best Actress at the 1995 Berlin Film Festival...
, MBE, a Hong Kong movie star who became popular as a child and continued her success as a mature actress, winning numerous awards including best actress at the 1995 Berlin Film Festival. Since retiring from show business she has become a writer and a psychologist, known for her work against child abuse. - Siow Lee ChinSiow Lee ChinLee Chin Siow , a Singaporean violinist, is a Professor of Violin and the Director of Strings at the College of Charleston, South Carolina...
, renowned Singaporean violinist. She is an assistant professor and the Director of Strings at the College of Charleston. Siow is the Gold Medal winner of the 1994 Henryk Szeryng International Violin Competition and First Prize winner of the 1994 Louise D. McMahon International Music Competition for Strings.In 1996, Siow won the Singapore National Arts Council's Young Artist Award. - Gaetan SiewGaétan SiewGaétan Siew is an architect in Mauritius.Siew graduated from the Unité Pédagogique d’Architecture, Marseilles, France in 1979. He has been in private practice in Port Louis since 1981, and is a partner in Lampotang & Siew Architects Ltd...
, elected President of the International Union of Architect during the UIA General Assembly which took place in Istanbul (Turkey), from 8 to 10 July 2005. Born in Mauritius in 1954, Gaétan Siew graduated from the Marseille School of Architecture in 1979. He is in private practice in Port Louis since 1981. - Jiang Zeming, former President of People Republic of China. He is from Xiao Jiang family.
- Xiao QiangXiao QiangXiao Qiang is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of China Digital Times, a bi-lingual China news website, and an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California at Berkeley...
, adjunct professor of University of California, Berkeley, USA. Founder and Editor in Chief of China Digital Times, a bilingual China news website. Full time human right activist after the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989. Xiao is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship in 2001. He was also a visiting fellow of the Santa Fe Institute in 2002. - Xiao YangXiao YangXiao Yang was the former President of the Supreme People's Court of China.-Biography:He received his LL.B degree from Renmin University of China Law School in 1962.Xiao Yang was the Minister of Justice from 1993 to 1998...
, from Heyuan, Guangdong, the former President of the Supreme People's Court of China, People Republic of China from 1998-2008, the Minister of Justice from 1993 to 1998. - Yum Tong Siu from Taishan, Kwangdong, mathematician, William Elwood Byerly Professor of Mathematics at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Dr. Siu has been the dominant figure in the mathematics of several complex variables. He has mastered techniques at the interfaces between complex variables, differential geometry, and algebraic geometry. - Di XiaoDi XiaoDi Xiao，肖荻 is a classical piano soloist originally from China, named in the top 10 up and coming Chinese pianists by International Piano Magazine in 2009...
, Chinese Pianist. Described by the critics as “a pianist of awesome gifts", Di Xiao recently concluded a major international tour representing the UK as part of the universally acclaimed European Concert Halls Organisation (ECHO) 'Rising Stars' series. - David XiaoDavid XiaoDavid Xiao is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Edmonton-McClung as a Progressive Conservative.-Early life:...
, Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Edmonton-McClung as a Progressive Conservative. - Xiao Li-meng,an award-winning Chinese-American statistician, and the Whipple V. N. Jones Professor of Statistics at Harvard University. He received the COPSS Presidents' Award in 2001. He has written numerous research papers about Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and other statistical methodology.
- Seow Hood Seng,(1862-1940) also Hsiao Fo-cheng , and Siamese name SiaohIuseng SriboonIiang. He was President of Tongmenhui Siam branch, supporter of Dr Sun Yat-sen in the Chinese revolution movement, representative of KMT in Bangkok and founder of Sriboonruang family
- Siauw Giok Tjhan,(1914-1981) Indonesian politician, he was cabinet minister under Sukarno, but imprisoned for 10 years by Suharto.