View source for Liu

{{other uses}}
{{See also|Liǔ|Liao (surname)||}}
{{Infobox surname
| name            = Liu
| image           = SurnameLiu.svg
| image_size      = 
| caption         = Liú surname in [[traditional Chinese characters]]
| pronunciation   = Liú ({{IPAc-cmn|l|iu|2}}) <small>(Pinyin)</small><br/>Lau<small>4</small><br/>Lâu <small>([[Pe̍h-ōe-jī]])</small>
| language        = Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean 
| languageorigin  = [[Old Chinese]]
| origin          = 
| derivation      = 
| meaning         = 
| variant         = Liú <small>(Mandarin)</small><br/>Lau <small>(Cantonese, Hokkien)</small><br/>Lieu <small>(Shanghainese)</small><br/>Lưu <small>(Vietnamese)</small><br/>Yoo, Ryu <small>(Korean)</small><br/>Ryu <small>(Japanese)</small><br/>Liew <small>(Malaysia)</small>
| cognate         = 
| derivative      = 
| seealso         = [[Lưu]]<br/>[[Yoo (Korean surname)]]
| family          = 
}}
'''Liu''' ({{Lang-zh|s=刘|t=劉}}; {{IPAc-en|lj|ou}} or {{IPAc-en|lj|uː}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Liu Shaoqi|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/liu-shao-qi|website=Collins English Dictionary|access-date=1 May 2015}}</ref>) is an [[East Asia]]n surname. [[pinyin]]: {{lang|zh-Latn|Liú}} in [[Mandarin Chinese]], {{lang|zh-Latn|Lau<sup>4</sup>}} in [[Cantonese]]. It is the family name of the [[Han dynasty]] emperors. The character {{wikt-lang|zh|劉}} originally meant 'battle axe', but is now used only as a surname. It is listed 252nd in the classic text ''[[Hundred Family Surnames]]''. Today, it is the 4th most common surname in mainland China as well as one of the most common surnames in the world.<ref name="stats">{{cite web|date=23 June 2014|script-title=zh:张、王、李、赵谁最多—2010年人口普查姓氏结构和分布特点|url=http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5Njg5MjAwMg==&mid=200354543&idx=1&sn=29de013ce1896a8e78f9c0d774cd528a&scene=3#rd|publisher=China Statistics Bureau}}</ref><ref name="xinhua">{{cite news|date=2013-04-15|script-title=zh:最新版百家姓排行榜出炉：王姓成中国第一大姓|language=zh|trans-title=Latest surname ranking: Wang is the number one surname in China|newspaper=[[Xinhua News Agency]]|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2013-04/15/c_124579209.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415090720/http://news.xinhuanet.com/edu/2013-04/15/c_124579209.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 15, 2013|access-date=2013-11-21}}</ref>

==Distribution==
In 2019 劉 was the fourth most common surname in mainland China.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2020/01/20/676822.html|title = 新京报 - 好新闻，无止境}}</ref> Additionally, it was the most common surname in [[Jiangxi]] province. In 2013 it was found to be the 5th most common surname, shared by 67,700,000 people or 5.1% of the population, with the province with the most people being [[Shandong]].<ref>中国四百大姓, 袁义达, 邱家儒, Beijing Book Co. Inc., 1 January 2013</ref> Outside mainland China, 劉 is also the 8th most common surname in Taiwan,<ref>{{cite web |title=全國姓名統計分析 |url=https://www.ris.gov.tw/documents/data/5/2/112namestat.pdf |publisher=Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan |access-date=5 September 2025 |page=26 |language=zh-tw}}</ref> the 30th most common in South Korea,<ref>{{Cite web |title=KOSIS |url=https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1IN15SD |website=kosis.kr |access-date=2022-07-08 |archive-date=2022-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709095832/https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=101&tblId=DT_1IN15SD |language=ko}}</ref> and is present in smaller numbers in Vietnam.

==Origin==
One source is that they descend from the [[Qi (surname)#Q.C3.AD .28.E7.A5.81.29 surname|Qí (祁)]] clan of [[Emperor Yao]]. For example, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty (one of China's golden ages), [[Liu Bang]] ([[Emperor Gaozu of Han]]) was a descendant of [[Emperor Yao]].

Another origin is from the [[Ji (Zhou dynasty ancestral surname)|Jī (姬)]] clan of [[King Qing of Zhou]]. For example, {{ill|Duke Kang of Liu|zh|刘康公}}, the youngest son of [[King Qing of Zhou]], founded the {{ill|State of Liu|zh|劉國}} and his descendants took state names as surname.

== History ==
Liu was a place name in ancient China (located in present-day [[Henan]]). The Liu family name has two main origins from this place name.

[[Kong Jia]], the fourteenth king of the [[Xia dynasty]], was given a male and a female dragon as a reward for his obedience to the god of heaven; yet he could not train them, so he hired a dragon-trainer named [[劉累|Liu Lei]] (劉累), who had learned how to train dragons from Huanlong. Liu Lei was a descendant of [[Emperor Yao]], and won the admiration of King Kong Jia for his skill at dragon-rearing. To reward Liu Lei, King Kong Jia granted him a place called Liu as his [[fiefdom]]. Liu Lei took the name of his fief as his family name. One day, the female dragon died unexpectedly, so Liu Lei secretly chopped her up, cooked her meat, and served it to the king, who loved it so much that he demanded Liu Lei to serve him the same meal again. Since Liu Lei had no means of procuring more dragon meat, he fled the palace. Liu Lei was the first person surnamed Liu in Chinese history, and his descendant [[Emperor Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]] founded the [[Han dynasty]].

During the [[Zhou dynasty]], [[King Ding of Zhou]] granted the fiefdom of Liu to his younger brother, [[Ji Jizi]] (姬季子). Ji Jizi also took Liu as his family name. Eventually, Liu became a state, and Ji Jizi ruled the [[State of Liu]] as [[Duke Kang of Liu]]. After more than a hundred years under the rule of the Liu family, the State of Liu was destroyed by the central government of the Zhou dynasty.

Liu was the ruling family of the Han dynasty, one of the most prosperous and influential empires in Chinese history. The Han dynasty was founded by Liu Bang. Later, Emperor [[Liu Che]] helped expand the Han dynasty even further, ushering in a golden age for China.

The Han dynasty had 30 emperors all surnamed Liu; it was one of the Chinese dynasties with the most emperors. The Han dynasty lasted 400 years, making it one of the longest-lasting Chinese empires in history. The Han is what gives its name to the Han people as well as [[Han characters]] / [[Hanzi]] / [[Chinese characters]].

Even after the Han dynasty, several Liu continued to hold power within China, including [[Liu Bei]] of [[Shu Han]] (whose exploits were described in the [[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]), as well as the [[Han-Zhao]], [[Liu Song]], [[Later Han (Five Dynasties)|Later Han]], [[Northern Han]] and [[Southern Han]] dynasties.

Over history, several non-Han Chinese people have adopted the Liu surname, including [[Xiongnu]] and [[Turkic peoples]].

==Historical figures==
* {{ill|Duke Kang of Liu|zh|刘康公}}, son of [[King Qing of Zhou]] and founder of the {{ill|State of Liu|zh|劉國}}
* [[Emperor Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]], Founder of the [[Han dynasty]] as Emperor Gaozu of Han
* [[Liu Jiao (prince)|Liu Jiao]] ([[Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty)|King of Chu]]), the younger brother of Liu Bang and famous scholar
* [[Emperor Hui of Han|Liu Ying]], Second Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Wen of Han|Liu Heng]], Fifth Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Jing of Han|Liu Qi]], Sixth Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Wu of Han|Liu Che]], Seventh Emperor of the Han dynasty known for expanding the Han dynasty to its fullest extent and for a long reign of 54 years
* [[Liu An]] (King of Huainan), advisor to his nephew, Emperor Wu of Han. Best known for editing the (139 BCE) Huainanzi compendium of Daoist, Confucianist, and Legalist teachings
* [[Liu Sheng, Prince of Zhongshan|Liu Sheng]] (King of Zhongshan), the direct ancestor of the [[Shu Han]] emperors, had more than 120 sons
* [[Liu Xiang (scholar)|Liu Xiang]], government official, scholar, and author of who lived during the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Zhao of Han|Liu Fuling]], Eight Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Marquis of Haihun|Liu He]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Xuan of Han|Liu Xun]], Tenth Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Yuan of Han|Liu Shi]], Eleventh Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Cheng of Han|Liu Ao]], Twelfth Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Ai of Han|Liu Xin]], Thirteenth Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Ping of Han|Liu Kan]], Fourteenth Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Liu Xin (scholar)|Liu Xin]], astronomer, historian, and editor during the Han dynasty
* [[Gengshi Emperor|Liu Xuan]], Emperor Gengshi of the Han dynasty
* [[Liu Yan (Xin dynasty)]], general and older brother of [[Emperor Guangwu of Han|Liu Xiu]]
* [[Emperor Guangwu of Han|Liu Xiu]], The restorer of the Han dynasty and the founding emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty
* [[Liu Dai]], politician during the Eastern Han dynasty
* [[Liu Du (warlord)]], warlord and politician during the Eastern Han dynasty
* [[Liu Yan (Han dynasty warlord)]], politician and warlord during the Eastern Han dynasty
* [[Liu Biao]], warlord during the late Eastern Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Ming of Han|Liu Zhuang]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Zhang of Han|Liu Da]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor He of Han|Liu Zhao]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor An of Han|Liu Hu]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Shun of Han|Liu Bao]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Huan of Han|Liu Zhi]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Ling of Han|Liu Hong]], Emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Emperor Xian of Han|Liu Xie]], Last emperor of the Han dynasty
* [[Liu Bei]] (161–223), Founding emperor of Shu Han
* [[Liu Shan]] (207–271), Second emperor of Shu Han
* [[Liu Hong (astronomer)|Liu Hong]], astronomer and mathematician of the Han dynasty
* [[Liu Hui]], mathematician during the Three Kingdoms period
* [[Liu Yan (Shu Han)]], general during the Three Kingdoms period
* [[Liu Ji (Three Kingdoms)]], official of Eastern Wu
* [[Liu Kun (Jin dynasty)|Liu Kun]], general, poet and musician of the Western Jin
* [[Liu Yuan (Han Zhao)|Liu Yuan]], First emperor of Han-Zhao
* [[Liu He (Han Zhao)|Liu He]], Second emperor of Han-Zhao
* [[Liu Cong (Han Zhao)|Liu Cong]], Third emperor of Han-Zhao
* [[Liu Can]], Fourth emperor of Han-Zhao
* [[Liu Yao]], Fifth emperor of Han-Zhao
* [[Liu E (Han Zhao)|Empress Liu E]], Empress of Han-Zhao
* Liu Yu, Founder of the Liu Song as [[Emperor Wu of Liu Song]]
* Liu Yilong, [[Emperor Wen of Liu Song]]
* [[Empress Liu (Zhenzong)|Empress Liu]], Empress of Northern Song
* [[Liu Sanjie]], folk music singer during the Southern Song dynasty
* [[Liu Zhiyuan]], Founding emperor of Later Han
* [[Liu Chong]], Founding emperor of Northern Han
* [[Liu Yan (emperor)|Liu Yan]], Founding emperor of Southern Han
* [[Liu Rengui]], chancellor and general of the Tang dynasty
* [[Liu Xiangdao]], chancellor of the Tang dynasty
* [[Liu Ji (general)]], general of the Tang dynasty
* [[Liu Ji (Tang chancellor)]], chancellor of the Tang dynasty
* [[Liu Yan (Tang dynasty)]], Chinese economist and politician during the Tang dynasty
* [[Liu Zhan]], chancellor and official of the Tang dynasty
* [[Liu Chongwang]], chancellor of the Tang dynasty
* [[Liu Zhangqing]], famous poet and politician
* [[Liu Yuxi]], famous poet and statesman
* [[Liu Kezhuang]], famous poet of southern song
* [[Liu Xu]], chancellor of Later Tang and Later Jin
* [[Liu Bingzhong]], chancellor of the Yuan dynasty
* [[Liu Bowen]], famous poet, statesman, strategist and thinker
* [[Liu Tongxun]], a politician of the Qing dynasty
* [[Liu Yong (Qing dynasty)|Liu Yong]], politician and calligrapher of the Qing dynasty
* [[Liu Mingchuan]], First Governor of [[Taiwan under Qing rule|Taiwan]]
* [[Liu Ji (politician)]], (1887–1967), 11th Republic-era mayor of Beijing
* [[Liu Shaoqi]], 2nd [[President of the People's Republic of China]]
* [[Liu Bocheng]], a Chinese military commander in 20th century wars and one of the [[Yuanshuai|Marshals of the People's Liberation Army]]
<!-- this list is of HISTORICAL people. At the very least you must be dead to be historical - do not add living people here, they go on the list linked just below -->

== Notable people ==
{{Main list|List of people with the Chinese family name Liu}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://english.people.com.cn/200507/14/eng20050714_196124.html Chinese surname history: Liu]
{{100 Most Common Family Names in Mainland China}}
{{101-200 Most Common Family Names in Mainland China}}

{{surname}}

[[Category:Chinese-language surnames]]
[[Category:Multiple Chinese surnames]]