Liu

For other uses, see Liu (disambiguation).

Liu
Liu surname in regular script
Pronunciation	Liú (Pinyin) Lâu (Pe̍h-ōe-jī)
Language(s)	Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese
Origin
Language(s)	Old Chinese
Derivation	Surname of the Han Dynasty's ruling family
Other names
Variant(s)	Liu (Mandarin) Liew, Lieu (Hakka) Lau, Lao, Lowe(Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew) Lưu (Vietnamese) Yoo (Korean)
See also	Yoo (Korean name)

See also: Yu the Great, Xia Dynasty, and Yu

劉(Lao, Lau, Low, Lauv, Liew, Liu, Loo, Lowe, Liou or Yu) is a common Chinese family name. The transliteration Liu can represent several different surnames written in different Chinese characters:

劉 / 刘, pinyin: Liú. A very common surname, as it was used by the ruling family of the Han Dynasty - a high point in the history of China.
柳 pinyin: Liǔ in mandarin, Lau : Cantonese
留 pinyin: Liú in mandarin, Lau : Cantonese
六 pinyin: Liù in mandarin, Lyuk : Cantonese
廖 Cantonese pinyin: Liu 6, Mandarin : Liao, Wu

In Cantonese transliteration, 刘/劉 (Liú) is Lau, Lao is also transliteration of 刘/劉 in Min Nan and Taiwanese Minnan Chinese language, whilst Liu is a different surname, 廖, pinyin: Liào, (Liêu in Vietnamese).

In Teochew, 刘/劉 is usually romanized as Lau, Low or Lao; 柳 is written as Lew; and 廖 is romanized as Leow or Liau.

In Hakka, 刘/劉 is most commonly transliterated as Liew while 廖 is written as Liau or Liaw. The other variants of the romanised surname Liu, i.e. 柳, 留 and 六, are uncommon among speakers of Hakka.

In Vietnamese, the name can either take the form Liễu (in northern regions), corresponding to 柳 in Chinese, or Lưu (in central or southern regions), corresponding to 刘/劉 or 留 in Chinese. The family name 六 is Lục in Vietnamese. A few having Vietnamese-Chinese descent use the family name Lao while Indonesian-Chinese descent Latinise it according to Dutch pronunciation as Lauw.

after fall of Qin Dynasty, Qin Chinese emigrate to Longxi of Gansu and the territory of Xiongnu Dynasty. in Han Dynasty period, Liu royal change surname to Chen (surname) (陳). in the territory of Post Chu (state) the Zhejiang, Liu (劉) family change surname to Feng (奉). in Yuan Dynasty period, Chinese Liu (劉) family change surname to Jin (金). in some state, Yu (庾) be able trade to other Liu.

Origin of Liu, Yu

廖 (Liao, Liu, Leow, Liau, Yu)

六 (Liu, Lak, Ljuk, Yuk)

from Liu (state) (六) at Xia Dynasty period
from Liu (state) (六) at Zhou Dynasty period

俞/腧 (Yu, Yoo, Liu, Wu, Wi, Joo, Ju)

庾 (Yu, Yoo, Joo, Ju)

from Public Office at Zhou Dynasty period
from Country Lord in territory of Chu (state)
from Ethnic Groups in China

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Prominent people with the family name 刘 / 劉 (Liú, Lao or Lau)

Historical

The Liu royals and control of the following dynasties:
- the Han Dynasty by Liu Bang, Han Dynasty by Emperor Guangwu of Han the Liu Xiu
- the Shu Kingdom in the Period of the Three Kingdoms, (Liu Bei, (161 - 223) Liu Shan (207 - 271)
- the Xiongnu Han Zhao by Liu Yuan (Han Zhao) and the Tiefu Xia kingdoms in the Period of the Sixteen Kingdoms
- the Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties
- the Later Han Dynasty of Liu Zhiyuan and the Northern Han kingdom of Liu Min and the Southern Han kingdom of Liu Yin and Liu Chang in the Period of the Five Dynasties and the Ten Kingdoms
Liu Ji, military strategist, statesman and prophet
Liu Bin-Di, Chinese Muslim intelligence officer
Liu Shifu, Chinese revolutionary and anarchist

Contemporary

Anthony Liu, figure skater
Evelyn Lau, writer
Cecilia Liu, Chinese actress
John Liu, New York City Comptroller
Sidney Lau, Hong Kong linguist
Liu Fang, Chinese Pipa and Guzheng player
Laurin Liu (born 1990), Canadian politician
Lucy Liu (born 1968), American actress
Prudence Liew, singer and actress
René Liu, singer and actress
Rex Liu, British-Canadian classical bassoonist
Will Liu, Taiwanese singer
Henry Lau, Chinese-Canadian singer, member of Super Junior-M
Yang Liu, classical violinist
Alicia Liu, Taiwanese model
Liu Bocheng, PRC military commander
Liu Chia-Liang (Lau Kar-Leung), actor, choreographer and director
Liu Dalin, sexologist
Amber Liu (singer), Chinese-American member of f(x) (band)
Andy Lau, actor, singer
Andrew Lau, filmmaker and actor
Liu Binyan, dissident
Liu Boming (astronaut)
Liu Chao-shiuan, Kuomintang politician
Liu Chengjun (general)
Liu Fuzhi, PRC politician
Liu Guoliang, table tennis player
Liu Heng, writer
Liu Huan, singer
Liu Huaqing (1916–2011), PRC politician
Liu Hui, mathematician
Liu Jing (politician)
Liu Kang (artist)
Liu Qi (Chinese politician), Beijing Olympics organizer
Liu Qi-Chao, jazz musician
Liu Shaoqi, PRC politician
Liu Shilan, a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) in chess
Liu Sola, singer, composer, and writer
Liu Tianhua, composer and musician
Liu Wei (artist)
Liu Wen, fashion model
Liu Wenhui, warlord
Liu Wenjing, one of the advisors of Tang Gaozu
Liu Xiang, Olympic winner and World Record holder
Liu Xiang (warlord)
Liu Xiaobo, PRC dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Liu Xiaoqing, actress
Liu Yalou, general
Liu Yang, first female Chinese astronaut^[1]
Liu Yifei, singer/actress
Tats Lau, Hong Kong actor and musician
Lau Wan Kit, Hong Kong comic artist
Liu Wenhui, warlord and PRC politician
Liu Ye, Chinese actor
Liu Yunpeng, Chinese high jumper
Liu Zhijun, PRC politician
Alan Lowe, Canadian architect & politician, former mayor of Victoria, BC, Canada

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Prominent people with family name 柳 (Liǔ)

Liu Gongquan, a poet and calligrapher
Liu Zongyuan, a poet during Tang Dynasty
Liu Yizheng, modern historian

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Liu-Imperial Surname of China(刘）

— Royal house —
Preceded by Ying	Imperial Surname of All China 202 BC – 9 AD	Succeeded by Wang
	Imperial Surname of All China 23 AD – 220 AD	Succeeded by Sima