Lu (surname 鲁)

Lǔ is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written 鲁 in simplified character and 魯 in traditional character. It is also spelled Lo according to the Cantonese pronunciation. Lu 鲁 is listed 49th in the Song Dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.^[1] As of 2008, Lu 鲁 is the 115th most common surname in China.^[2]

Origin

According to several ancient genealogy texts including the Tang Dynasty Yuanhe Xing Zuan, Xing Pu (姓谱), and Xingshi Kaolue (姓氏考略), the surname Lu 鲁 originated from the ancient State of Lu, which was founded by Bo Qin, son of the Duke of Zhou, in the 11th century BC. During the Warring States period, Lu was conquered by the State of Chu, one of the seven major powers at the time, in 256 BC. Many people of Lu subsequently adopted the name of their former state as their surname. It is considered a branch of Ji 姬, the royal surname of the state of Lu.^[3][4]

Notable people

• Lu Ban (魯班; 507–440 BC), carpenter, engineer and inventor of the State of Lu
• Lu Zhonglian (魯仲連; 305–245 BC), scholar of the State of Qi in the Warring States period
• Lu Su (魯肅; 172–217), politician and diplomat serving under Sun Quan of Eastern Wu
• Lu Qin (鲁钦; died 1626), Ming Dynasty general
• Lu Xun (魯迅; 1881–1936), pen name of Zhou Shuren (周樹人), one of China's most influential writers
• Lu Diping (魯滌平; 1887–1935), Kuomintang general and governor of several provinces
• Lu Gwei-djen (魯桂珍; Lu Guizhen; 1904–1991), academic, wife of Joseph Needham
• Lu Dadong (鲁大东; 1915–1998), politician, Communist Party Chief of Chongqing and Governor of Sichuan
• Lu Ping (魯平; born 1927), politician and diplomat
• Lu Guanqiu (鲁冠球; born 1945), entrepreneur, one of the richest people in China
• Lo Chun-shun (魯振順; Lu Zhenshun; born 1957), Hong Kong actor
• Lu Zhishen (魯智深), fictional character in the classical novel Water Margin

References