Re: Chow Family Name

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.joinet.net.au>]

On Tue, 9 Mar 1999, The Chow Family wrote:

> I was not able to identify an exact equivalent to the "chow"  name.
> Could you give me a idea where I might find it?
 
Hello Mr Chow,

You do not have to look for it as I am sending it to you now.
Surname Chow in Cantonese is also Zhou in Mandarin Pinyin.

Yoon-Ngan.

Surname No.5 ZHOU
Zhou means : delicate; considerate.
Surname Zhou is about 2700 years old.

Abstract: Surname Zhou was originated in an area which was first referred 
          to as the Ru3 Nan2 Prefecture during the Han4 Dynasty (206BC to 
          220AD). The present day location of Ru3 Nan2 Prefecture is in 
          Lin2 Ru3 county in the province of Henan.
 
  The surname of all the thirty seven Kings of the Zhou Dynasty 
(1134BC to 256BC) was Ji which means beautiful female.

   In 770BC Ji Yi2 Jin4 ascended to the throne as Zhou King Ping2. He moved 
his capital to Cheng2 Zhou (present day Luo4 Yang2 city in Henan province) 
as the old capital, Hao4 (present day Xi An city in Shaanxi province), 
was destroyed by the Quan3 Rong2, the non-Han4 tribe from the north. The 
capital was uninhabitable. Historians called this move as the beginning 
of the East Zhou Dynasty (770BC to 256BC).
  
  Zhou King Ping2 had many sons and he appointed one of them called Ji Lie4 
as the administrator of the district called Ru3 Zhou (present day Lin2 
Ru3 county in Henan province). King Ping2 bestowed upon him the title 
of Hou2 (Marquis) which was inheritable. Since Ji Lei4 was an offspring 
of the Zhou Court, his family was known by the local citizens as the Zhou 
Wang2 Jia or Zhou Royal Family. Then the locals shortened it and addressed 
his family as Zhou Family which was a very popular family in the district. 
As his family was that well known Ji Lie4 surnamed his children ZHOU. 
That was the origin of surname Zhou.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan		chungyn@mozart.joinet.net.au
http://www.joinet.net.au/~chungyn
Copyright 1999. All rights reserved.