Lai (surname)
Encyclopedia
Lai is a common Chinese surname
that is pronounced similarly in both Cantonese and Mandarin. It is also a Taiwanese surname that is romanized as "Luā".
The Lai's ancestry is from the state of Lai
in the Spring and Autumn Period. Many Lais dispersed to the south during their defeat by the Chu state
, many even changed their surname to escape persecution.
The brother of Zhou Wu Wang (周武王), Shu Ying, was awarded as Duke of Lai (northeast of Shi in Henan). In 583 B.C the Lai kingdom was destroyed
by Chu Ling Wang. Some of its people fled to neighboring kingdoms of Luo (羅) and Fu (傅), others migrated north and settled in Da Yan (Yanling in Henan). They adopted the name Lai to commemorate their old kingdom.
Today, the largest Lai clans are in Taiwan
, Philippines
, Indonesia
, Xingning
, Meixian and Melbourne
. A 2006 census shows that Lai is the 90th most common surname in China.
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...
that is pronounced similarly in both Cantonese and Mandarin. It is also a Taiwanese surname that is romanized as "Luā".
The Lai's ancestry is from the state of Lai
Lai (state)
Lai was an ancient Dongyi kingdom located what is now east Shandong. The Book of Xia had already recorded it. It was weakened and annexed in 567 BCE by the Qi ....
in the Spring and Autumn Period. Many Lais dispersed to the south during their defeat by the Chu state
Chu (state)
The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...
, many even changed their surname to escape persecution.
The brother of Zhou Wu Wang (周武王), Shu Ying, was awarded as Duke of Lai (northeast of Shi in Henan). In 583 B.C the Lai kingdom was destroyed
by Chu Ling Wang. Some of its people fled to neighboring kingdoms of Luo (羅) and Fu (傅), others migrated north and settled in Da Yan (Yanling in Henan). They adopted the name Lai to commemorate their old kingdom.
Today, the largest Lai clans are in 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...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Xingning
Xingning
Xingning is a county-level city, under the jurisdiction of Meizhou, in Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China.- History :Xingning county was established in 331 CE.Xingning was the capital of the 10th-century Southern Han Dynasty....
, Meixian and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. A 2006 census shows that Lai is the 90th most common surname in China.
Prominent people with last name 賴 (Lai)
- Lai Sien: In winter 111 BC, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
was officially incorporated into HanHan 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...
, Lai Sien was appointed Governor. - LaimbuLaimbuLaimbu was one of the most influential princes during the early Qing Dynasty in China....
- Lai Wenguang
- Lai Chuanzhu:Landing Operation on Hainan IslandLanding Operation on Hainan IslandLanding Operation on Hainan Island , also known as Hainan Island Campaign or Hainan Campaign for short, was a series of battles fought between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China during the Chinese Civil War in the post-World War II period, and resulted in a communist...
- Brendan LaiBrendan LaiBrendan Lai was a Chinese martial artist who studied and taught Northern Style Seven Star Praying Mantis Gung Fu....
, Chinese martial artist
See also
- Lí (黎) (surname) - In Hong KongHong KongHong 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...
, ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
surname 黎 is romanized as Lai.