 | |
| Pronunciation | Lú (Mandarin) Lo (Cantonese) |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | Chinese |
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Middle Chinese |
| Meaning | Reed |
Lú is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written 芦 in simplified character and 蘆 in traditional character. It is also spelled Lo according to the Cantonese pronunciation. Lu 芦 is the 140th most common surname in China, with a population of 980,000. A relatively new surname, it is not listed in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.[1]
Demographics
As of 2008, Lu 蘆 is the 140th most common surname in China, shared by 980,000 people, or 0.079% of the Chinese population.[2][3] It is concentrated in the provinces of Anhui, Hubei, Hebei, and Henan, which altogether account for 43% of the total, including 17% in Anhui alone.[3]
Origins
Lu 蘆 is a relatively new surname by Chinese standard, with a history of about 1,500 years. It was first recorded during the Xianbei Northern Wei dynasty, when Emperor Xiaowen (reigned 467–499 AD) implemented a drastic policy of sinicization, ordering his own people to adopt Chinese-style surnames. The Molu (莫蘆) tribe of Xianbei adopted Lu 蘆 as their surname.[3] During the Ming and Qing dynasties, many people of the Zhuang, Yao, and Miao ethnicities in southern China also adopted the surname.[3]