Explore the Family Name Wu
The meaning of Wu
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 吳, meaning ‘big, large’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Wu (吳), the name of a state (located in present-day Jiangsu province) which was granted to Tai Bo, the first son of King Tai of Zhou (died c.1146 BC). After it was annexed by the state of Yue in 473 BC, people from the state adopted 吳 (Wu) as their surname. (ii) from the placename Yu (虞) (located in present-day Shanxi province). Because Yu (虞) had a similar pronunciation to that of Wu (吳) in ancient Chinese, some people acquired Wu (吳) instead of Yu (虞) as their surname. 2. Mandarin form of the surname 伍, meaning ‘five’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Wu Xu (伍胥), an official during the reign of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). (ii) from the personal name of Wu Can (伍參), an official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 武, meaning ‘military’ or ‘martial arts’ in Chinese: (i) from Wu Luo (武羅), which is said to be either the name of an official or that of an ancient state (in present-day Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) from the personal name of Wu Ding (武丁) (died 1192 BC), king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (iii) from the personal name of Ji Wu (姬武), son of King Ping of Zhou (died 720 BC). (iv) from Wu (武), the posthumous title of the Duke Wu of Song (ruler of the state of Song, reigned 765–748 BC). 4. Mandarin form of the surname 巫, meaning ‘wizard, witch’ in Chinese: (i) from the personal name of Wu Peng (巫彭), a doctor during the reign of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). (ii) from the personal name of Wu Xian (巫鹹) and Wu Xian (巫賢), officials during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (iii) from the occupational term Wu (巫), denoting soothsayers, astrologists, doctors, or wizards in ancient China. 5. Mandarin or Cantonese form of the surname 鄔: (i) from the placename Wu (鄔), a fief (in present-day Henan province) which was given to Qiu Yan, the fourth son of Lu Zhong (said to be a descendant of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’, c.27th century bc). (ii) from Wu (鄔), the name of a fief (located in present-day Shanxi province), which was granted to Wu Zang (鄔臧), an official in the state of Jin (located in present-day Shanxi province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 6. Mandarin form of the surname 毋, meaning ‘no’ in ancient Chinese: (i) said to be borne by the descendants of Wu Ju (毋句), said to be the inventor of the sounding stone (or Qing), a musical instrument in ancient China. (ii) borne by the descendants of the royal families in the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) shortened form of compound Chinese surname Wu-Qiu (毋邱), the name of a fief in the state of Qi granted to a brother of King Xuan of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 301 BC) during Warring States period (475–221 BC). (iv) a surname from minority ethnic groups in ancient southwestern China. 7. Mandarin form of the surname 烏, meaning ‘black’ in Chinese: (i) said to be from the first element of Wu Niao (烏鳥, literally meaning ‘black bird’), the name of a legendary official post prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) from the first element of the placename Wu Cheng (烏程) (located in present-day Zhejiang province) inhabited by the descendants of Gou Jian (died 465 BC), ruler of the state of Yue. (iii) shortened form of Wu-Huan (烏桓), a surname derived from the name of an ethnic group in northern China. (iv) adopted as a Han Chinese surname by the Wu Shi Lan (烏石蘭) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD), and by other minority ethnic groups in ancient northern China. 8. Mandarin form of the surname 午, meaning ‘noon’ in Chinese: from Wu (午), personal name of Zi Geng (died 552 BC), prince of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 9. Mandarin form of the surname 仵, meaning ‘to be equal’ to or ‘to violate’ in ancient Chinese: borne by some descendants of the nobles in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), possibly adopted in place of other Chinese surnames. 10. Mandarin form of the surname 吾, meaning ‘I’ in ancient Chinese: from the second element of Kun Wu (昆吾), the name of a descendant of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). Kun Wu was said to excel at making cermatics and bronze vessels and establish a state (said to be located in present-day Henan province) also named Kun Wu during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). 11. Cantonese form of the surname 胡, see Hu 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Wu in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Wu has seen a significant increase in popularity over a decade from 2000 to 2010. The rank of this surname jumped from 683rd position in 2000 to 461st in 2010, marking a change of 32.5%. The count of individuals with the surname also grew noticeably from 45,815 to 71,721 - a rise of 56.54%. Consequently, the proportion of the surname Wu per 100,000 people saw an increase of 43.17% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #683 | #461 | 32.5% |
| Count | 45,815 | 71,721 | 56.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 16.98 | 24.31 | 43.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Wu
The ethnic identity of individuals carrying the Wu surname has remained relatively steady between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. An overwhelming majority, accounting for 96.37% in 2010, up from 95.94% in 2000, identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. Those identifying as having two or more ethnicities showed a decrease of 20.50%, whereas the proportion of White individuals increased slightly by 3.79%. A small decrease was observed in those identifying as Hispanic and Black. The percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native remained unchanged.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.94% | 96.37% | 0.45% |
| Two or More Races | 2% | 1.59% | -20.5% |
| White | 1.32% | 1.37% | 3.79% |
| Hispanic | 0.52% | 0.48% | -7.69% |
| Black | 0.19% | 0.18% | -5.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0% |
Wu 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 Wu is Chinese, which comprises 87.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese Dai (2.4%) and British & Irish (1.9%). Additional ancestries include Korean, Manchurian & Mongolian, Vietnamese, French & German, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 87.0% |
| Chinese Dai | 2.4% |
| British & Irish | 1.9% |
| Other | 8.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Wu
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 Wu have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 51.60% |
| Jiangsu, China | 50.80% |
| Zhejiang, China | 50.70% |
| Shandong, China | 50.60% |
| Fujian, China | 50.60% |
What Wu 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 Wu 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 N-L665, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Chen, Wang, Huang, Li, Zhang, Chang, Lu, Tan, Tang, Cheng.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Wu surname are: M7b, F1a1, F2. 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 Wu 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.
"Wu" Surname 32.3%
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.
"Wu" Surname 20.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Wu" Surname 15.8%
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.
"Wu" Surname 5.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Wu?
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 Wu are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition