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Contrary to popular belief, a Chinese surname is very different from a Westerner's first name. The Chinese surname is placed before the person's name while the latter is placed after. Take the names Woo Teck Hwa and Jason Smith, for example. "Woo" is the surname of the person named Teck Hwa, while "Smith" is Jason's surname. There is a difference in the positioning.  
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Like most Asian surnames, Chinese surnames are passed down from generations and hold the family history in perpetuity. Chinese surnames tell others about the person's history and are always retained even though the name may change. The surname is often looked upon as a symbol of a man's pride and honor. It depicts the past glorious deeds the ancestors have achieved through "blood and sweat."
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According to legends, Chinese surnames originated from the Emperor Fu Xi (2852 BC). He standardized all Chinese surnames and defined matrimonial relationship. Thus a proper system of population census was established. It was also believed that there is a close relationship between surnames and totem worship. The early Chinese adopted the names or symbols of certain animals as their surname (e.g., Long, which means dragon.)
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A song in the Shi Jing, recounting the birth of Hou Ji, the earliest ancestor of the Zhou people, shows clearly the link between surnames and totem worship. Jiang Yuan the consort of the fiery Emperor prayed to God for a son. She followed his footprints for a distance and became pregnant. The giant footprints actually belonged to a bear the Zhou people then worshipped. They gave themselves the surname "Ji," which was made up of the characters "Nu" and "Chen." These characters represented Jiang Yuan and the bear, respectively.
'''Understanding customs used in surnames and given names can help you identify your ancestors in records. Learn to recognize name variations and see clues in names.'''
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==Online Tools==
*[https://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/chinese '''Behind the Name: Chinese Surnames''']
*[https://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/chinese '''Behind the Name: Chinese Given Names''']


A book of one hundred surnames (''Bai Jia Xing'') was complied during the 10th century. It recorded about 500 odd Chinese surnames and was one of the earlier surname books written. The surnames are arranged in rhymed lines without repetitions. In the original copy, which was lost, pictures of famous historical figures were illustrated on the upper part of every page, while the text was printed on the lower part. The unknown author successfully combined the study of family names, philology, sociology, and pedagogy into one book, making it one of the most popular books in history.


=== Origins of Names  ===
==Surnames==
Chinese personal names are names used by those from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and other parts of the Chinese-speaking world such as Singapore. Due to China's historical dominance in East Asia and Vietnam, many names used in Korea and Vietnam are adaptations of Chinese names or have historical roots in Chinese, with appropriate adaptation to accommodate linguistic differences.


Modern Chinese names consist of a family name (xìngshì; 姓氏), which comes first and is usually but not always monosyllabic, followed by a given name (míng; 名), which is almost always disyllabic, consisting of two characters. Prior to the 21st century, most educated Chinese men also utilized a "courtesy name" or "style name" (zì; 字) by which they were known among those outside their family and closest friends. Respected artists or poets will sometimes also use a professional "art name" (hào; 號) among their social peers.<ref>"Chinese name", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_name, accesed 5 March 2021.</ref>
===Origins of Names  ===
According to Mr. Kiang Kang Hu, author of the book ''On Chinese Studies'', there were 18 sources from which surnames were derived:  
According to Mr. Kiang Kang Hu, author of the book ''On Chinese Studies'', there were 18 sources from which surnames were derived:  


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