Mo (surname)

"Mok" redirects here. For the German rapper of Turkish descent, see MOK. For other uses, see Mok (disambiguation).

Mo
Family name
Region of origin	China

The Chinese family name Mo (莫) is pronounced in Mandarin as "Mò" (4th tone), in Cantonese as "Mok⁶" (6th tone), in Hmong as "Moua", "Mua", or "Muas" and in Vietnamese as "Mạc". The surname is often romanized as Mok where Cantonese speakers are prominent. According to a study of Mu Ying's Name record, the surname came to be when descendants of the antediluvian ruler Zhuanxu abbreviated the name of his city, Moyangcheng (莫陽城; in modern day Pingxiang County, Hebei) and took it as their surname. It may also be a diminutive of the male given names Mohammed, Moses and Maurice.

As Chinese family names go, Mo is relatively rare, ranked 168th in the Hundred Family Surnames. In 2004, there were an estimated 73,000 people with the surname of Mo abroad and 1,540,000 Mo's in China.

When not used as a surname, 'Mo' (莫) means 'do not'.

Famous people surnamed 莫

Art and literature

Mo Yan (莫言), real name Guan Moye (管谟业), Chinese author, Nobel laureate
Max Mok Siu-Chung (莫少聰), Hong Kong actor
Hoyan Mok (莫可欣), Winner of Miss Hong Kong Pageant (1993)
Warren Mok (莫華倫), Hong Kong tenor

Business

Charles Mok (莫乃光), early Internet entrepreneur and ICT advocate in Hong Kong

Production

Ken Mok, Executive Producer of ANTM
May Mok (莫美華), Sound (editor, mixer, designer, effects editor) and adr recordist
Tze Ming Mok (莫志明), New Zealand writer

Politics

Mo Xuanqing (莫宣卿), the youngest 'Number One Scholar' (in the imperial examination) in Chinese history
Mo Yueding (莫月鼎), Shenxiao Taoist Sect, in Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty
Mo Teh-hui (莫德惠), Minister of Agricultural and Business (Republic of China)
Ta Mok, Khmer Rouge South-Western Zone commander

Sports

Mo Huilan (莫慧兰), Chinese gymnast Silver Medal, 1996 Olympic Games (Atlanta)

Bill Mok (莫國城), Executive Committee Member of World Karate Federation (WKF); Secretary General of Asian Karatedo Federation (AKF); Director of Japan Karatedo Seigokan.

Entertainment

Karen Mok (莫文蔚), Hong Kong Chinese singer, actress, composer, producer, designer.