Xiong or Hsiung (Chinese: 熊; pinyin: Xióng; Wade–Giles: Hsiung; Vietnamese: Hùng) is a Chinese surname, literally meaning "bear". One of the earliest Chinese surnames, is now the 72nd most common surname in China.[1]
Its earliest origin traces back to one of the mythical Sovereigns Fuxi, who was also styled 黃熊 (Huáng Xióng, lit. "Yellow Bear"). The obsolete character "黃能" ("𪏛", requires archaic Chinese font support), with the character 黃 replacing the 火 radical in 熊, is also an archaic form of the surname. Later, Huangdi united China and took the name Yǒu Xióng Shì (有熊氏). Huangdi's grand son Zhuanxu (顓頊) also became one of the mythical emperors, and through him came the sixth generation descendent Jìlián (季連), who took the ancestral name Mǐ (芈). Yuxiong (鬻熊), a descendant of Jilian, was the teacher of King Wen of Zhou, and his descendants took Xiong as their clan name (氏). Xiong Yi, a great-grandson of Yuxiong, founded the State of Chu.[2]
To this day, the surname remains prominent in the provinces within the former territory of Chu.