Zu (surname)

Zu is the Mandarin pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written 祖 in Chinese character. It is romanized Tsu in Wade–Giles. It is listed 249th in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.^[1] It is not among the 300 most common surnames in China.^[2]

Notable people

Zu Lang (2nd century), Eastern Han dynasty bandit and general
Zu Mao (2nd century), Eastern Han general under Sun Jian
Zu Ti (祖逖; 266–321), celebrated Eastern Jin general
Zu Yue (祖約; died 330), Eastern Jin general, younger brother of Zu Ti
Zu Chongzhi (429–500), Liu Song dynasty mathematician and astronomer
Zu Gengzhi (450? – 520?), mathematician, son of Zu Chongzhi
Zu Ting (6th century), scholar-official of the Northern Qi dynasty
Zu Xiaosun (6th – 7th century), Sui and Tang dynasty musician
Zu Yong (祖咏; 699–746?), Tang dynasty poet
Zu Dashou (died 1656), Ming dynasty general who surrendered to the Qing
Zu Zhiwang (祖之望; 1754–1813), Qing dynasty Governor of Hunan and Shandong provinces
John B. Tsu (1924–2005), Chinese academic and lobbyist for Asians in the United States
Irene Tsu (born 1944), actress
Jidi or Zu Yale (born 1983), cartoonist and illustrator