Explore the Family Name Zhu
The meaning of Zhu
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 朱, meaning ‘vermilion’ in Chinese: (i) from Zhu (邾), the name of an ancient state (located in Zouxian in Shandong province) granted to a noble called An by King Wu of Zhou (c.1087–1043 BC). After this state was annexed by the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), the Chinese character Zhu (邾) was simplified to Zhu (朱) and adopted as a surname. (ii) said to be borne by descendants of Zhu Hu (朱虎) or Zhu Biao (朱彪), officials who lived during the reign of the legendary Emperor Shun (c.23rd century bc). (iii) said to be from the second element of the personal name of Dan Zhu (丹朱), style name of a son of the legendary Emperor Yao (c.24th century bc). (iv) said to be borne by descendants of Song Weizi, founder of the state of Song, established in around 11th century bc. (v) shortened form of the Chinese compound surname Er-Zhu (爾朱), the ancient name of a river (currently called Zhu Jia Chuan, located in northwestern Shanxi province). (vi) adopted as a surname by the Ke Zhuo Hun (渴濁渾) and Ke Zhu Hun (可朱渾) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 諸, meaning ‘various’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Zhu (諸), the name of a fief (located in Zhucheng in Shandong province) in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) possibly from the second element of the personal name Wu Zhu (無諸), style name of the founder of Minyue Kingdom (202–110 BC). (iii) adopted in place of the compound surname Zhu-Ge (諸葛) by Zhu-Ge Shipeng, who hid in the Kuaiji Hill after the Chen Qiao Mutiny during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–60 AD). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 祝, meaning ‘wizard, prayers’, or ‘to pray’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Zhu (祝), the name of an official post in ancient China in charge of chanting prayers during religious worship. (ii) from the placename Zhu (祝), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) during the reign of King Wu of Zhou (c.1087–1043 BC). 4. Mandarin form of the surname 竺: (i) from the second element of Tian Zhu (天竺), the Chinese name of the ancient Indian Empire, whose immigrants in China acquired Zhu (竺) as their surname. (ii) adopted in place of another homophonous Chinese surname, Zhu (竹), by Zhu Yan (竹晏) during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD). 5. Mandarin form of the surname 竹, meaning ‘bamboo’ in Chinese: (i) traced back to the state of Gu Zhu (孤竹), a small state (located in Hebei province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) said to be the surname of the leader of the state of Yelang (known as Marquis of Yelang) (located in present-day Guizhou province) during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Li, Ming, Wei, Hong, Hua, Jian, Yan, Yi, Ying, Yong, Bin, Ping, Min, Chang, Yiming.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Zhu in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Zhu has significantly increased in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Zhu was ranked as the 3147th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had jumped to the 1694th spot – an impressive increase of 46.17%. The count of individuals bearing this surname more than doubled during this period, escalating from 10,508 to 21,265, marking a growth rate of 102.37%. Consequently, the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people also rose substantially by 84.87%, moving from 3.9 to 7.21.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,147 | #3,147 | 0% |
| Count | 10,508 | 10,508 | 0% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.9 | 3.9 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zhu
The ethnicity distribution of the name Zhu showcases that it is predominantly associated with the Asian/Pacific Islander ethnic group. Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, 97.89% of individuals with the surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in 2000, and this figure slightly increased to 98.23% by 2010. The percentage of those identifying with two or more races decreased by 48.21%, while the proportion of White and Hispanic individuals slightly increased by 20.55% and 14.29% respectively. However, there were no individuals with this surname who identified as Black, American Indian, or Alaskan Native in either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 97.89% | 97.89% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1.12% | 0% |
| White | 0.73% | 0.73% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0.14% | 0.14% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Zhu 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 Zhu is Chinese, which comprises 93.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (2.2%) and Manchurian & Mongolian (2.0%). Additional ancestries include Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, Eastern European, British & Irish, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 93.4% |
| Korean | 2.2% |
| Manchurian & Mongolian | 2.0% |
| Other | 2.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Zhu
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 Zhu have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Shanghai, China | 24.30% |
| Guangdong, China | 24.30% |
| Jiangsu, China | 24.30% |
| Zhejiang, China | 24.30% |
| Shandong, China | 24.30% |
What Zhu 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 Zhu 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-F11, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lu, Xu, Li, Zhang, Wang, Wu, Sun, Chen, Zhou, Hu.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Zhu surname are: F2, D4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European 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 Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Zhu 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.
"Zhu" Surname 29.4%
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.
"Zhu" Surname 29.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Zhu" Surname 14.7%
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.
"Zhu" Surname 5.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Zhu?
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 Zhu are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition