Zhou
The origin of the surname Zhou
Zhou is the character 周, the name of China’s longest dynasty.
How Chinese surnames work
Chinese surnames — the “family name” — come first, before the given name, and a relatively small set of names is shared by enormous numbers of people (Wang, Li and Zhang are among the most common surnames on earth). Each is written with a single Chinese character carrying its own meaning, and many trace back thousands of years to ancient clans, states, noble titles or places. The character is the surname, so its meaning is fixed by the specific hanzi.
Variants & spellings
- Chou
Frequently asked questions
What does the surname Zhou mean?
The surname Zhou means The Zhou dynasty (周). Zhou is the character 周, the name of China’s longest dynasty.
Where does the surname Zhou come from?
Zhou is a surname of Chinese origin.
What kind of surname is Zhou?
Zhou is a clan name surname.
How common is the surname Zhou in the United States?
Zhou ranks #2,839 among U.S. surnames (2010 U.S. Census), recorded for about 11,586 people.