Chao (趙)
A Taiwanese surname.
趙 Chao
- Zhuyin
- ㄓㄠˋ
- Pinyin
- zhào
- Wade-Giles
- Chao
- Further spellings of 趙
- Jau, Jhao, Zhao
- Taiwanese Hokkien (Tâi-lô)
- Tiō
- Hakka (Sixian)
- ceu⁵⁵
- Rank in Taiwan
- 44th most common surname, roughly 0.44% of the population (2023 Ministry of the Interior figures)
What the character means
The name of the Warring States kingdom of Zhao, and of states founded later.
Where the surname comes from
Tradition traces it to Zaofu (造父) of the Ying (嬴) clan, charioteer to King Mu of Zhou, who was granted the city of Zhao (趙城) in present-day Shanxi. His descendants later founded the state of Zhao; the imperial family of the Song bore the name. Hall name (堂號): 天水堂.
Saying it 我姓趙 — wǒ xìng zhào (ㄨㄛˇ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄓㄠˋ), "my family name is 趙"
Sources: rank and share, 內政部 全國姓名統計分析 (Ministry of the Interior, National Name Statistics), data as of 2023-06-30. Taiwanese Hokkien readings, 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 (MOE Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi), 百家姓 appendix. Hakka, 教育部臺灣客語辭典 (MOE Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka), 百家姓表, Sixian (四縣腔).