Explore the Family Name Liu
The meaning of Liu
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 劉, referring to a ‘type of axe used as a weapon’ or meaning ‘kill’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Liu (劉), the name of an ancient state (located in Tang County in Hebei province). After this state was annexed during the reign of King Xuan of Zhou (reigned 827–782 BC), some people from it adopted 劉 as their surname. Liu Bang (劉邦) (256–195 BC), the founder of the Western Han dynasty (202 BC - 25 AD), is said to have been a descendant of one of these people. (ii) from the names of two other Western Han nobles, Lou Jing and Xiang Bochan, who were given the surname Liu (劉) by Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu of Han, 256–195 BC). In addition, one of Liu Bang’s daughters was said to be sent to marry Modu Chanyu (died 174 BC), the then chief of the Huns, after the campaign at Baideng in 200 BC, and some of their descendants later inherited Liu (劉) as their surname. (iii) from the placename Liu (劉), the name of a fief (located in Yanshi in present-day Henan province) granted to the son of Wang Ji, a noble who lived during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou (reigned 1042–1021 BC). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 柳, meaning ‘willow’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the placename Liu Xia (柳下), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) in the state of Lu, granted to Zhan Qin, also known as Liu Xia Hui (柳下惠) (720–621 BC), a revered judicial official in the state of Lu. (ii) from the placename Liu (柳), the name of a fief (located in Xihua in Henan province) granted to Xiong Xin (died 205 BC), a grandson of King Huai of Chu (ruler of the state of Chu, died 296 BC). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 留, meaning ‘stay’ in Chinese: (i) from placename Liu (留), the name of an ancient fief (possibly located in present-day Henan province), which was said to be granted to one of the sons of the legendary Emperor Yao (c.24th century bc). (ii) from another placename Liu (留), the name of a fief (located in present-day Jiangsu province) granted to an official in the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted in place of the original surname Liu (劉) by the descendants of Liu Dan (433–459 AD), who was murdered due to rebellion against his brother Emperor Xiaowu of Song (died 464 AD). His descendants were then ordered to change their surname to Liu (留). 4. Cantonese form of the surname 廖, see Liao. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wei, Jian, Hong, Ming, Li, Ping, Yan, Ying, Yi, Hui, Feng, Qing, Chang, Min, Chung.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Liu in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Liu has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Liu was the 650th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had risen to the 411th position, indicating a change of 36.77%. The number of people bearing this surname also increased substantially during this period, from 47,665 in 2000 to 78,370 in 2010, a growth of 64.42%. This means that the proportion of people named Liu per 100,000 people rose by 50.37% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #650 | #411 | 36.77% |
| Count | 47,665 | 78,370 | 64.42% |
| Proportion per 100k | 17.67 | 26.57 | 50.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Liu
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Liu stayed largely consistent between 2000 and 2010, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, with the percentage slightly increasing from 95.46% in 2000 to 95.62% in 2010. There were minor shifts among other ethnicities, with the proportion identifying as two or more races decreasing by 9.71% and those identifying as white decreasing by 2.19%. However, there were slight increases in the percentages of people with this surname identifying as Hispanic and Black, which saw an increase of 17.39% and 13.33% respectively. Conversely, the percentage identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a decrease of 50%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.46% | 95.62% | 0.17% |
| Two or More Races | 2.06% | 1.86% | -9.71% |
| White | 1.83% | 1.79% | -2.19% |
| Hispanic | 0.46% | 0.54% | 17.39% |
| Black | 0.15% | 0.17% | 13.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.04% | 0.02% | -50% |
Liu ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Liu is Chinese, which comprises 87.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (3.2%) and Manchurian & Mongolian (3.0%). Additional ancestries include Chinese Dai, British & Irish, Vietnamese, French & German, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 87.2% |
| Korean | 3.2% |
| Manchurian & Mongolian | 3.0% |
| Other | 6.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Liu
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Liu have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 38.00% |
| Zhejiang, China | 37.50% |
| Jiangsu, China | 37.40% |
| Fujian, China | 37.30% |
| Shanghai, China | 37.20% |
What Liu haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Liu is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F46 and O-Page23, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wang, Zhang, Li, Chang, Chen, Yang, Wu, Sun, Chan, Zhou.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Liu surname are: F1a1, F2, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Liu have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Liu" Surname 29.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Liu" Surname 28.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Liu" Surname 15.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Liu" Surname 5.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Liu?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Liu are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition