Xu () is a Chinese-language surname. In the Wade-Giles system of romanization, it is spelled as "Hsu", which is commonly used in Taiwan or overseas Chinese communities. It is different from Xu (surname 許), represented by a different character. The surname originated from the state of Xú and is most common in Jiangsu province.
Variations in other Chinese varieties and languages
In Wu Chinese including Shanghainese, the surname is transcribed as Zee, as seen in the historical place name Zikawei in Shanghai (Xujiahui in Pinyin). In Gan Chinese, it can be spelled Hi or Hé.
In Cantonese, is often transcribed as Tsui, T'sui, Choi, Chooi, Chui or even Tsua.
In modern Vietnamese, the character is written Từ and Sy when migrating to the English-speaking World, particularly the United States. Other spellings include Hee and Hu.
In Japanese, the surname is transliterated as Omomuro (kunyomi) or Jo (onyomi or Sino-Japanese).
In Korean, is romanized as Seo in the Revised Romanization of Korean and written in Hangul.
Origin According to legend, Ruomu was one of the two sons of Boyi. Boyi successfully assisted Yu the Great with resolving the Flood, so the King conferred one of the eight noble tribal names, Yíng, to the family of Boyi; and simultaneously Ruomu was appointed as the King of the land of Xú. This was the beginning of the establishment of the state Xú. The state has been reigned over by the royal family for more than a thousand years, and had 44 monarchs.
The state of Xú was eliminated by the state of Wú, since then in order to commemorate their ancestral pride, descendants of King Ruo'mu adopted their country's name, Xú, as their surname. Therefore, the surname, Xú, is originated from King Ruo'mu, and it belongs to the noble tribe of Yíng.
The surename Xu also belongs to a branch of surename Zi.
Jiangsu is the province with the highest concentration of the surname Xu.
Notable people with surname Abbey Hsu (born 2001), American basketball player Agnes Hsu-Tang, American archaeologist, art historian, and philanthropist Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛; 1976–2025), more commonly known as Dà S or Big S (大S), Taiwanese actress, singer, and television host Dee Hsu (徐熙娣; born 1978), more commonly known as Xiǎo S or Little S (小S), a Taiwanese television and film actress Stephen Hsu, American theoretical physicist and technology startup founder Hsu Cheng-kuang, Minister of Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission of the Republic of China (2000–2002) Hsu Chen-wei (born 1968), county magistrate of Hualien Magistrate Hsu Ching-chung (), Vice Premier of the Republic of China (1972–1981) Hsu Chun-yat, Minister of Public Construction Commission of the Republic of China (2014–2016) Hsu Jan-yau, Governor of Taiwan Province (2016–2017) Hsu Jo-ting, Taiwanese fencer Hsu Kuo-yung, Minister of the Interior of the Republic of China Hsu Li-teh, Vice Premier of the Republic of China (1993–1997) Hsu Ming-chun, Deputy Mayor of Kaohsiung (2016–2018) Hsu Ming-tsai, Mayor of Hsinchu City (2009–2014) Hsu Ming-yuan, Deputy Minister of Council of Indigenous Peoples Hsu Nai-lin (, born 1959), Taiwanese actor and comedian Hsu Shui-teh, President of Examination Yuan (1993–1996) Hsu Tsai-li, Mayor of Keelung City (2001–2007) Hsu Tzong-li, President of Judicial Yuan Hsu Yao-chang, Magistrate of Miaoli County Xu Huang, (; died 227), Military General of the state of Cao Wei Xu Sheng, Military General of the Eastern Wu Xu Shu (, fl. 207–220s), courtesy name Yuanzhi, originally named Shan Fu, official of the state of Cao Wei Xu Beihong (; Wade–Giles: Hsü Pei-hung 1895 – 1953), also known as Ju Péon, prominent modern Chinese painter Xu Guangqi, Chinese scholar-bureaucrat, agricultural scientist, astronomer and mathematician Xu Jiyu, Chinese official and geographer Xu Bing, Artist Xu Chen, Badminton player Xu Da, Ming dynasty general Xu Datong, Chinese political scientist and legal scholar Xu Deshuai, a Hong Kong footballer for South China Xu Demei, Chinese javelin thrower Xu Jie (Ming dynasty), (1503–1583), 44th Senior Grand Secretary of the Ming dynasty Xu Jun, Chess player Xu Ling, Writer and editor Xu Linxia, Chinese communist executed by the Kuomintang Xu Lu (, born 1994), also known as Lulu Xu, Chinese actress Xu Mengjie, (, born 1994), also known as Rainbow Xu, Chinese singer and actress. Xu Minghao, (, born 1997), Chinese member of the South Korean boyband Seventeen, known by his stage name The8 Xu Xinfu, (), Chinese director Xu Wei, Ming dynasty painter Xu Xiangqian, Chinese Communist Military leader Xu Xinliu (Singloh Hsu), Chinese banker Xu Yang (Qing dynasty), Qing dynasty painter Xu Yifan (徐一幡; born 1988 in Tianjin), a Chinese tennis player Xu Yiyang (徐艺洋; born 1997), Chinese singer and actress Xu Yuan, Footballer Xu Zizhou (徐自宙; born 1981), Chinese former track and field sprinter Vivian Hsu (Atayal: Bidai Syulan; 徐若瑄; born 1975), Taiwanese singer and actress Tsui Hark (徐克, Vietnamese: Từ Khắc, born 1950), born Tsui Man-kong (徐文光), Hong Kong film director, producer and screenwriter Ophelia Tsui (徐崑翠), Chinese physicist Paula Tsui Siu-fung (徐小鳳), Cantopop singer in Hong Kong, with a career of spanning over 40 years Tsui Po Ko, renegade officer in the Hong Kong Police Force Tsui Tin-Chau, Teacher and lecturer Tsui Siu-Ming, Hong Kong-based actor, screenwriter, film producer, assistant director, and production manager Charlie Kosei (real name Cheui Gwongsing), Jazz musician Ban Tsui, Chinese Canadian Anesthesiologist Ted Hsu, Canadian politician Tsui Tsin-tong, Hong Kong entrepreneur, philanthropist and antique connoisseur Xu Bin (徐彬), Chinese actor based in Singapore Jeffrey Xu (徐鸣杰, born 1988 in Shanghai), Chinese actor in Singapore Xu Kaicheng (徐开骋, born 1990), Chinese actor Xu Xiaodong (徐晓冬; born 1979), nicknamed "Mad Dog", Chinese mixed martial artist (MMA) who has been called the founder of MMA in China Xu Can (徐灿; born 1994), Chinese professional boxer who has held the WBA (Regular) featherweight title since 2019 Xu Jiao (徐娇, born 1997), Chinese actress Xu Shuzheng (徐樹錚, 1880–1925), Chinese warlord in Republican China, a subordinate and right-hand man of Duan Qirui of the Anhui clique Hsu Dau-lin (1907–1973), legal scholar, son of Xu Shuzheng Eric Xu Yong (徐勇; born 1964), Chinese businessman, co-founder of Baidu Xu Dongdong (徐冬冬; born 1990), a Chinese actress and singer who first rose to prominence in 2016 for playing Shen Jiawen, a drug Xu Shouhui (徐壽輝; died 1360), a 14th-century Chinese rebel leader who proclaimed himself emperor during the late Mongol Yuan dynasty period Chee Soon Juan (徐顺全; born 1962), a Singaporean politician and the current leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Xu Haiqiao (徐海喬; born 1983), also known as Joe Xu, a Chinese actor Xu Fan (徐帆, born 1967), Chinese actress and Asian Film Awards winner Empress Xu (Ming dynasty) (徐皇后, 1362 – 1407), the empress consort to the Yongle Emperor Xu Chen (徐晨, born 1984), a badminton player from China Xu Jinglei (徐静蕾, born 1974), Chinese actress and film director Xu Yiyang (徐艺洋, born 1997), Chinese singer and actress Xu Mengjie (徐梦洁, born 1994), Chinese singer and actress, former member of Rocket Girls 101 Xu Fu (Hsu Fu; 徐福 or 徐巿, 255 BC – 195–155 BC.: pinyin: Xú Fú; Wade–Giles: Hsu2 Fu2; Japanese: 徐福 Jofuku or 徐巿 Jofutsu; Korean: 서복 Seo Bok or 서불 Seo Bul), a Qi alchemist and explorer Xu Shaohua (徐少华; born 1958), a Chinese actor best known for his role as Tang Sanzang Xu Huihui (徐慧慧, known professionally as Jade Xu) (born 1986), Chinese martial arts actress and multiple World Wushu Champion Xu Jie (Southern Tang) (, 868–943), Southern Tang politician Xu Jie (Ming dynasty) (, 1503–1583), Ming dynasty politician Xu Jie (table tennis) (, born 1982), Chinese-Polish table tennis player Xu Xiake (徐霞客; 1587 – 1641), born Xu Hongzu (徐弘祖), courtesy name Zhenzhi (振之), Chinese travel writer and geographer of the Ming dynasty Chinese barracks ship Xu Xiake Jeremy Tsui (Xu Zhengxi) (徐正溪, born 1985), Chinese actor Xu Geyang (徐歌阳; pinyin: Xú Gēyáng; born 1996), a singer from Shenyang, Liaoning, China Xu Zhimo born Xu Zhangxu, also known as Changhsu Hamilton Hsu (徐志摩; pinyin: Xú Zhìmó; 1897 – 1931), original name [(徐章垿; Wade–Giles: Hsü Chang-hsü), courtesy names Yousen (槱森; pinyin: Yǒusēn; Wade–Giles: Yu-sen) and later Zhimo, which he went by, an early 20th-century romantic Chinese poet Xu Xiang (徐翔; pinyin: Xú Xiáng; born February 1977 in Ningbo, Zhejiang), a former Chinese private placement investor Xu Jiayu (徐嘉余; born 1995), a Chinese competitive swimmer who specializes in the backstroke. He is the Olympic Silver medalist (2016 Xu Caihou (徐才厚; 1943 – 2015), Chinese general in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xu Yunli (徐雲麗; born 1987), Chinese volleyball player Xu Lijia (徐莉佳; born 1987 in Shanghai), Chinese sailboat racer who won a bronze medal in women's Laser Radial class Xu Yunlong (徐雲龍; born 1979), Chinese former footballer Xu Zhijun (徐直军; born 1967), Chinese entrepreneur currently serving as deputy chairman and rotating chairman of the Huawei Technologies Co Xu Huaiji (徐怀冀; born 1989), Chinese former footballer Xu Huaiwen (徐怀雯; born 1975), Chinese-born German badminton player Xu Liang (徐亮; born 1981 in Shenyang), Chinese footballer Xu Ke (author) (徐珂; born 1869–1928), a Chinese author who wrote an "unofficial" history of the Qing dynasty, Qing bai lei chao Xu Yihai (徐亿海; born 1990), former Chinese footballer Xu Xin (footballer) (徐新; born 1994), Chinese footballer Xu Yanwei (徐妍玮; born 1984 in Shanghai), an Olympic medal-winning swimmer Xu Lingyi (徐令义; born April 1958), Chinese politician and the current Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Xu Wu (徐武; born 1991), Chinese football player who currently plays for Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic in the China League Xu Xianping (徐宪平; born 1954), Chinese politician Xu Zonghan (徐宗漢), a medical doctor, heroine of the Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew China's Qing dynasty in 1911 Xu Yifan (徐一幡; born 1988 in Tianjin), tennis player from China Xu Gang (politician) (徐钢; born 1958), former Chinese official who spent most of his career in Fujian province Xu Zheng (actor) (徐崢; born 1972), Chinese actor and director best known for acting in comedic roles Xu Hui (徐惠; 627–650), female Chinese poet, "the first of all women poets of the Tang" Xu Youyu (徐友漁; born 1947 in Chengdu), Chinese scholar in philosophy Xu Xiaotu (徐晓图; born 1963 in Shanghai), 祖籍浙江 海宁, author, scholar, licensed architect in the US Xu Ming (徐明, 1971–2015), billionaire entrepreneur, former owner of Dalian Shide F.C. Xu Ming (figure skater) (徐铭, born 1981), Chinese figure skater Xu Datong (徐大同; 1928 – 2019), Chinese political scientist and legal scholar, considered one of China's "Five Elders" Ying Xu (徐鹰; pinyin: Xú Yīng) a computational biologist and bioinformatician Xu Jianyi (徐建一; born December 1953 in Fushan District, Yantai, Shandong), former Chinese politician and entrepreneur Xu Xu, aka Hsu Yu (徐訏), was the pen name of Xu Boyu (徐伯訏; 11 November 1908 – 5 October 1980), an important figure in modern Chinese literature Xu Caidong (徐采栋; 1919 – 2016), Chinese metallurgist, politician, and academician Xu Ming (徐铭; born 1981 in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang), Chinese figure skater Xu Shichang (Hsu Shih-chang; 徐世昌; 1855 – 1939), President of the Republic of China Xu Xing (paleontologist) (徐星; born 1969), Chinese paleontologist who has named more dinosaurs than any other living paleontologist Xu Yongchang (1885–1959) (Hsu Yung-chang; 徐永昌; style name: Cichen (Tzu-chen)), Minister of Board of Military Operations of the Republic of China Xu Kuangdi (徐匡迪; born 1937), Chinese politician and scientist, best known for his term as Mayor of Shanghai Xu Yunli (徐云丽; born 1987), Chinese volleyball player Xu Yihai (徐亿海; born 1990), former Chinese footballer Xu Shousheng (徐守盛; 1953–2020), Chinese politician who was the former Communist Party Secretary of Hunan and Gansu provinces