175 Common Last Names in Different Asian Countries

Download Article

Naming expert Dr. Hayley Elizabeth Wilson lists surnames from China, Japan, Korea, and more

Co-authored by Dr. Hayley Elizabeth Wilson and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: January 21, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Chinese
|
• Japanese
|
• Korean
|
• Vietnamese
|
• Thai
|
• Filipino
|
• Indian

|Show more |Show less

Asia is a vast continent filled with many unique, diverse cultures. And each of these cultures has their own naming traditions. We spoke with naming expert Dr. Hayley Elizabeth Wilson to teach you some of the most common Asian last names, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and more. Keep reading to discover these unique names.

What are some popular Asian surnames?

Naming expert Dr. Hayley Elizabeth Wilson says some common Chinese last names include Wang, Chen, Li, and Zhang, and some popular Filipino last names include dela Cruz, Bautista, Garcia, and Gonzales. Here are some other popular Asian surnames:

• Japanese: Suzuki, Yamada, Tanaka, Watanabe
• Korean: Jung, Kim, Park, Song
• Vietnamese: Duong, Hoang, Nguyen, Tran

Steps

Section 1 of 7:

Chinese Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   According to a report from January 2019, there are 6,150 different surnames in China, but 85% of the population uses the top 100 surnames. For example, Dr. Wilson says Wang, the number 1 name in mainland China, is shared by over 100 million people. Here are some of the most popular Chinese last names:

   • Chen (meaning: “exhibit”)
   • Chéng (meaning: “success”)
   • Cheung (meaning: “to stretch”)
   • Chiu (meaning: “hill, mound”)
   • Dǒng (meaning: east, winter, to supervise”)
   • Féng (meaning “gallop”)
   • Gāo (meaning: “high, tall”)
   • Huang (meaning: “yellow”)
   • Lam (meaning: “forest”)
   • Lee (meaning: “plum”)
   • Li (meaning: “plum”)
   • Liu (meaning: “kill”)
   • Luó (meaning: “net, gauze, to collect”)
   • Mǎ (meaning: “horse”)
   • Song (meaning “pine”)
   • Sūn (meaning: “descendant”)
   • Tsui (meaning: “high mountain”)
   • Wang (meaning: “king”)
   • Wong (meaning: “yellow”)
   • Wú (meaning: “military”)
   • Xú (meaning: “gentle, slow”)
   • Yang (meaning: “willow”)
   • Yeung (meaning: “poplar tree”)
   • Zhang (meaning: “archer”)
   • Zhào (meaning: “exceeding”)

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Dr. Hayley Elizabeth Wilson is a naming consultant based in Liverpool, England. She shares name meanings and naming tips on social media @little_name_library to over 20k Instagram followers.
Advertisement

Section 2 of 7:

Japanese Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   There are over 290,000 different Japanese surnames. This is because many names are pronounced the same but are made up of different kanji. Additionally, some names are written the same in kanji but are pronounced differently. Here are some of the most popular:

   • Hashimoto (meaning: “bridge, base/origin”)
   • Hayashi (meaning: “forest”)
   • Ikeda (meaning: “pond, rice field”)
   • Inoue (meaning: “well, above”)
   • Itō (meaning: “this, wisteria”)
   • Katō (meaning: “add, wisteria”)
   • Kimura (meaning: “tree, village”)
   • Kobayashi (meaning: “small, forest”)
   • Matsumoto (meaning: “pine tree, base, origin”)
   • Mori (meaning: “forest”)
   • Nakajima (meaning: “middle, island”)
   • Nakamura (meaning: “middle, inside, village”)
   • Saitō (meaning: “purification, wisteria”)
   • Sasaki (meaning: “help, tree”)
   • Satō (meaning: “help, assistant, wisteria”)
   • Shimizu (meaning: “pure, water”)
   • Suzuki (meaning: “bell, tree”)
   • Takahashi (meaning: “high, tall, bridge”)
   • Tanaka (meaning: “rice field, middle, inside”)
   • Watanabe (meaning: “cross over, border”)
   • Yamada (meaning: “mountain, rice field”)
   • Yamaguchi (meaning: “mountain, entrance/mouth”)
   • Yamamoto (meaning: “mountain, base, origin”)
   • Yamazaki (meaning: “mountain, promontory”)
   • Yoshida (meaning: “good luck, rice field”)

Section 3 of 7:

Korean Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   Most Korean surnames consist of a single syllable, though some may have multiple syllables. They’re largely inspired by Chinese characters that were adopted by Korean nobility, and they may be tied to specific clan origins. Here are some popular Korean surnames:

   • Cho (meaning: “second, beginning, candle”)
   • Choi (meaning: “mountain, pinnacle, top”)
   • Han (meaning: “great, king”)
   • Hong (meaning: “vast, great”)
   • Hwang (meaning: “yellow”)
   • Iang (meaning: “bridge, willow”)
   • Jang (meaning: “archer”)
   • Jeon (meaning: “field”)
   • Jung (meaning: “young”)
   • Kim (meaning: “gold”)
   • Ko (meaning: “high, tall”)
   • Kwon (meaning: “power, authority”)
   • Lee (meaning: “plum, plum tree”)
   • Lim (meaning: “forest, woods, trees”)
   • Moon (meaning: “door, gate, writing”)
   • Oh (meaning: “king”)
   • Park (meaning: “gourd”)
   • Ryang (meaning: “bright, dragon, willow”)
   • Seo (meaning: “west, younger sister, lower slope”)
   • Shin (meaning: “trust, belief”)
   • Son (meaning: “grandson, goodness, virtuous”)
   • Song (meaning: “pine tree”)
   • Yang (meaning: “bridge, light”)
   • Yoo (meaning: “willow tree”)
   • Yoon (meaning “governor”)
Advertisement

Section 4 of 7:

Vietnamese Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   Because the Vietnamese language is tonal, so are Vietnamese names. Names may have the same spelling but different tones that represent different meanings. Here are some common Vietnamese surnames:

   • Bùi (meaning: “cup, talent”)
   • Dang (meaning: “political party”)
   • Dào (meaning: “pottery, pleased”)
   • Do (meaning: “integrity, virtue”)
   • Duong (meaning: “poplar”)
   • Ho (meaning: “shore, lake”)
   • Hoang (meaning: “to fall through”)
   • Huynh (meaning: “gold-colored”)
   • Kim (meaning: “gold, metal”)
   • Lâm (meaning: “forest”)
   • Le (meaning: “plum tree”)
   • Lý (meaning: “reason, logic”)
   • Mai (meaning: “apricot blossom, plum blossom, golden flower”)
   • Ngô (meaning: “corn”)
   • Nguyen (meaning: “musical instrument”)
   • Pham (meaning: “extensive”)
   • Phan (meaning: “the Phan River”)
   • Phí (meaning: “a type of flower”)
   • Phùng (meaning: “phoenix”)
   • Tô (meaning: “revive, aromatic herb”)
   • Tran (meaning: “a family name”)
   • Trinh (meaning: “rule, order”)
   • Truong (meaning: “medium”)
   • Vũ (meaning: “rain”)
   • Vyong (meaning: “king, ruler, prince”)

Section 5 of 7:

Thai Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   Surnames were only introduced to Thai culture in the early 1900s, so there are no traditional Thai surnames. According to Thai law, a family cannot create a surname that is used by any other family; two people with the same surname must be related. Here are some notable Thai last names:

   • Adulyadej (meaning: “incomparable power”)
   • Apinya (meaning: “magical power, supernatural knowledge”)
   • Boonmee (meaning: “to have merit, possessing good karma”)
   • Chaidee (meaning: “good fortune, lucky”)
   • Chaiya (meaning: “victory, triumph”)
   • Charoen (meaning: “to prosper, flourish”)
   • Dangda (meaning: “bravery, strength, red”)
   • Kasem (meaning: “happiness, joy”)
   • Lamsam (meaning: “blue shirt”)
   • Makok (meaning: “from Makok”)
   • Nantasri (meaning: “knowledge, wisdom, beauty, prosperity”)
   • Narong (meaning: “brave, courageous, heroic”)
   • Ngam (meaning: “beautiful, lovely, attractive”)
   • Rattana (meaning: “jewel, precious”)
   • Swangsri (meaning: “auspicious glory”)
   • Siriporn (meaning: “glorious blessing”)
   • Somboon (meaning: “worthy, prosperous”)
   • Somchai (meaning: “worthy man”)
   • Thana (meaning: “status, dignity”)
   • Tularak (meaning: “protector of balance”)
   • Udomsilp (meaning: “prosperity, wealth”)
   • Ungphakorn (meaning: “mound under the tree”)
   • Wanglee (meaning: “palace, mansion”)
   • Wichai (meaning: “victory, triumph”)
   • Yoovidhya (meaning: “living knowledge”)
Advertisement

Section 6 of 7:

Filipino Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   The Spanish colonized the Philippines for over 300 years. Dr. Wilson says that many Filipino last names are actually Spanish due to “a legacy of the Spanish colonial administration’s practice of standardizing surnames.” Here are the most common Filipino last names:

   • Aquino (meaning: “from the town of Aquino”)
   • Bautista (meaning: “baptist, baptized”)
   • Castillo (meaning: “castle”)
   • Castro (meaning: “castle, forest”)
   • Cruz (meaning: “cross”)
   • De Guzman (meaning: “of Guzman”)
   • Dela Cruz (meaning: “of the cross”)
   • De Leon (meaning: “of Leon, from Leon”)
   • Domingo (meaning: “of the Lord”)
   • Fernandez (meaning: “son of Fernando”)
   • Flores (meaning: “flowers”)
   • Francisco (meaning: “Frenchman, free man”)
   • Garcia (meaning: “bear”)
   • Gonzales (meaning: “son of Gonzalo”)
   • Lopez (meaning: “son of Lope”)
   • Martinez (meaning: “son of Martin”)
   • Mendoza (meaning: “cold mountain”)
   • Perez (meaning: “son of Pedro”)
   • Ramos (meaning: “branches, bouquets”)
   • Reyes (meaning: “kings, royalty”)
   • Rivera (meaning: “riverbank, shore”)
   • Sanchez (meaning: “son of Sancho”)
   • Santos (meaning: “saints, holy”)
   • Torres (meaning: “towers”)
   • Villanueva (meaning: “new town, new village”)

Section 7 of 7:

Indian Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   Indian surnames are typically passed down from the father and are often influenced by caste, occupation, village, and regional customs. For example, names from South India are often more complex than those from North India. Here are some common Indian surnames:

   • Bai (meaning: “white, pure, lady, maid”)
   • Chopra (meaning: “descendant of the warrior Chaupat Rai”)
   • Das (meaning: “servant”)
   • Devi (meaning: “goddess, divine female”)
   • Gujarati (meaning: “golden or silver thread”)
   • Gupta (meaning: “warrior, protector”)
   • Kapoor (meaning: “descendant of the moon”)
   • Kaur (meaning: “princess”)
   • Khan (meaning: “chief, ruler”)
   • Khatri (meaning: “ruler”)
   • Kumar (meaning: “child, son, prince”)
   • Kumari (meaning: “girl, daughter, princess”)
   • Lal (meaning: “darling, precious, beloved”)
   • Malik (meaning: “king”)
   • Patel (meaning: “village headman”)
   • Patil (meaning: “village headman”)
   • Ram (meaning: “charming, delightful”)
   • Rao (meaning: “king, ruler, chief”)
   • Reddy (meaning: “a family of intellectual thinkers”)
   • Shah (meaning: “king, emperor”)
   • Sharma (meaning: “protection, refuge, joy”)
   • Shukla (meaning: “bright”)
   • Singh (meaning: “lion”)
   • Tamil (meaning: “love”)
   • Yadav (meaning: “follower of Yadu”)
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!