Cai (surname)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

蔡; Cài

Cài (Simplified and Traditional Chinese: 蔡) is a Chinese surname that derives from the name of the ancient Cai state. It's regionally more common in China's Fujian Province and in countries settled by ethnic Chinese from that province than in China as a whole. The surname is the 34th most common surname in China^[1], but the 9th most common in Taiwan, where it is usually romanized as Tsai^[2], and the 8th most common in Singapore, where it is usually romanized as Chua^[3].

See also: Cai (state)

The Cais are said to be the descendants of the 5th son of King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty (9th century BC – 256 BC), Ji Du. Ji Du was awarded the title of marquis (hóu) of the State of Cai (centered on what is now Shangcai, Zhumadian, Henan, China), and he was known as Cai Shudu ("Uncle Cai"). Together with Guan Shu and Huo Shu, they were known as the Three Guards. When King Wu died, his son King Cheng was too young and his uncle, the Duke of Zhou, became regent. Seeing that the power of the Duke of Zhou was increasing, the Three Guards got jealous and rebelled against Zhou together with Wu Geng. The Duke of Zhou suppressed the rebellion, and Cai Shu was exiled. King Cheng reestablished Cai Shu’s son Wu as the Duke of Cai. Some 600 years later in the Warring States Period, the State of Chu conquered Cai in 447 BC and was itself conquered by the Qin state which, in turn, formed the Qin Empire, China's first empire. With the spread of family names to all social classes in the new empire, many people of the former state of Cai began to bear it as a surname.

The Cais descendants have undertaken two major migrations. During the Huang Chao Rebellion (AD 875) at the end of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), the Cai clan migrated to Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Another later migration occurred when Ming Dynasty loyalist Koxinga moved military officials surnamed Cai and their families to Taiwan in the 17th century. As a result, the surname is far more common in these areas and in areas settled by their descendants (e.g., Southeast Asia) than in other parts of China.

1 Transliteration and romanization
2 Prominent people surnamed Cai
3 See also
4 Notes

[edit] Transliteration and romanization

Cai is written the same (蔡) in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters.

In Mandarin Chinese, the surname is transliterated as Cài in pinyin and Tongyong Pinyin, Ts'ai in Wade-Giles, and Tsay in Gwoyeu Romatzyh. In Minnan or Taiwanese, it is Chhoà in Pe̍h-oē-jī. In Cantonese, it is Coi3 in Jyutping and Choi in Yale. (This should not be confused with the predominantly Korean family name Choi which has a different Chinese character [崔]). Koreans use Chinese-derived family names and in Korean, Cai is 채 in Hangul, Chae in Revised Romanization, and Ch'ae in McCune-Reischauer. Vietnamese also use Chinese-derived family names and in Vietnamese, it is Thái or Sái. Japanese do not use Chinese family names but for Chinese in Japan who carry the name, it is さい in Hiragana and Sai in the major romanization systems.

Cai is romanized as Cai in the People's Republic of China, Tsai (or occasionally Tsay or Chai) in the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Choi or Choy in Hong Kong. In Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, the most common forms are Chua for Hokkien and Teochew speakers, Chai for Hakka speakers, and Choi for Cantonese speakers. In Indonesia it is usually romanized as Tjoa and in the Philippines it is Chua, Cua or the hispanicized Tuason.

Other variations include Chye, Coi, Toy, and Tsoi.

In addition, some of the Cais who resided in the Philippines adopted Spanish names to avoid persecution by the Spanish rulers during the Philippines' Spanish colonial rule from the early 16th to late 19th century. Examples of these are Mercado, which means "Market" in Spanish and was adopted by Domingo Lam-Co (he chose this name to remind his descendants of their trader way of life), and Rizal, which was adopted by Domingo Lam-Co's great-grandson, Francisco Mercado (who was also the father of Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal).

[edit] Prominent people surnamed Cai

Cai Cheng, a Chinese politician
Cai Chusheng, an early Chinese film director
Cai E, a Chinese revolutionary and warlord in early 20th century
Cai Fu, a a character in the Chinese literature classic the Water Margin
Cai Guo-Qiang, a Chinese contemporary artist and curator.
Cai, Guoray, an American academic
Cai He, an officer in the Three Kingdoms period, brother of Cai Zhong and cousin of Cai Mao
Cai Jing, a Song Dynasty official and a character in the Chinese literature classic the Water Margin
Cai, Lady, the wife of Three Kingdoms period naval officer Huang Zu
Cai Lun, the inventor of paper in the Han Dynasty
Cai Mao, a naval officer in the Three Kingdoms period who served under Liu Biao, cousin of Cai He and Cai Zhong
Cai Qing, a a character in the Chinese literature classic the Water Margin
Cai Shangjun, a Chinese film director and screenwriter
Cai Tingkai, a Chinese general during the Republican era
Cai Wen, a Chinese academic
Cai Wenji, a Han Dynasty poet and composer also known as Cai Yan, daughter of scholar Cai Yong
Cai Xiang, a calligrapher, scholar, official and poet during the Song dynasty also known as Cai Zhonghui
Cai Xitao, a Chinese botanist
Cai Yong, a Han Dyansty scholar and father of Cai Wenji
Cai Yuanpei, a chancellor of Peking University and first president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Academic Sinica)
Cai Yun, a Chinese badminton player
Cai Zhong, an officer in the Three Kingdoms period, brother of Cai He and cousin of Cai Mao
Cai Zhuohua, a Chinese Christian preacher
Chae Jung An (stage name), a Korean actress
Choi, Ada, a Hong Kong actress
Choi, Charlene, a Hong Kong singer, member of the Twins duo
Choi Chi-sum, a Hong Kong evangelist
Choi, Fátima, a Macanese government minister
Choi, Sandra, an English creative director and designer for shoemaker Jimmy Choo Ltd
Choy, Anna, an Australian actress, TV presenter, and Australia Day Ambassador
Choy, Elizabeth, a North Borneo-born Singaporean World War II heroine
Choy, Wayson, a novelist and a member of Order of Canada
Choy, Wilbur Wong Yan, an American Methodist bishop
Chua, Alfrancis, a Filipino basketball coach
Chua, Amy, a United States-based Chinese Filipino academic and author
Chua, Brent, a Filipino model
Chua, Danilo Jr., a Filipino musician
Chua Ek Kay, a Singaporean artist
Chua, Glen, a Canadian film director, actor, and writer
Chua, Joi (Joi Tsai), a Singaporean singer
Chua Lam, a Singaporean-born Hong Kong columnist and movie producer
Chua Ling Fung, Simon, a bodybuilder from Singapore
Chua, Mark, a Filipino murder victim
Chua, Paul, a Singaporean bodybuilder
Chua Phung Kim, a Singaporean weightlifter
Chua, Robert, a Singapore-born Asian television executive
Chua Sock Koong, a Singaporean telecom executive
Chua Soi Lek, a Malaysian health minister
Chua, Tanya, a Singaporean singer
Tjoa Jien Hwie, the birth name of Surya Wonowidjoyo, founder of Gudang Garam
Tjoa, Marga, an Indonesian writer
Tjoa To Hing, the birth name of Indonesian businessman Rachman Halim
Tsai, Angela, an American actress and television host
Tsai Chia-Hsin, a Taiwanese badminton player
Tsai Chih-chieh, a Taiwanese footballer (soccer player)
Tsai Chin, a Taiwanese popular music singer
Tsai Hui-kai, a Taiwanese footballer (soccer player)
Tsai Ing-wen, a former Vice Premier of the Republic of China
Tsai, Jeanne, an American academic
Tsai, Jolin, a Taiwanese popular music singer
Tsai, Ming, an American chef and host of television cooking shows
Tsai Ming-liang, a Taiwanese movie director
Tsai Rong Tsang, a Taiwanese tea master
Tsai Wan-lin, a Taiwanese billionaire and founder of Cathay Life Insurance Company
Yo, Evan, a Taiwanese singer whose real name is Tsai Min-you

[edit] See also

Choa Chu Kang (蔡厝港 Càicuògǎng, literally "Cai house harbor"), a suburban area in the West Region of Singapore
Choi Uk Tsuen (蔡屋村 Càiwùcūn, literally "Cai house village"), a village in the Yuen Long district of Hong Kong