Wu is the Pinyin transliteration of the Chinese surname 吳 (Traditional Chinese), 吴 (Simplified Chinese), which is the tenth most common surname in Mainland China. Wu (吳) is the sixth name listed in the Song Dynasty classic Hundred Family Surnames.
The Cantonese and Hakka transliteration of 吳 is Ng, a syllable made entirely of a nasal consonant while the Min Nan transliteration of 吳 is Goh or Ngoh, depending on the regional variations in Min Nan pronunciation. In Korea, the surname is pronounced as "Oh". In Vietnam, the surname is known as "Ngo".
吳 is also one of the most common surnames in Korea. It is spelled 오 in Hangul and romanized O by the three major romanization systems, but more commonly spelled Oh in South Korea. It is also related far back in Chinese history with the name "Zhou (周)" and "Ji (姬)".
Several other, less common Chinese surnames with different pronunciations are also transliterated into English as "Wu": 武, 伍, 仵, 烏, 鄔 and 巫. Wu' (or Woo or Wou) is also the Cantonese transliteration of the different Chinese surname 胡 (see Hu), used in Hong Kong, and by overseas Chinese of Cantonese speaking areas of Guangdong, or Hong Kong origin.
The name originates from the ancient state of Wu in present-day province of Jiangsu.
In the 13th century B.C., the state of Zhou (which will later become the Zhou Dynasty) was ruled by Tai Wang (King Tai of Zhou). His surname was originally Ji (姬). He had three sons: Taibo, Zhongyong, and Jili. King Tai of Zhou favored the youngest son, Jili to inherit the reins of power, therefore Taibo and his brother Zhongyong voluntarily left Zhou with a group of followers and headed southeast where they established the state of Wu. Taibo and Zhongyong's descendants eventually adopted Wu (吳) as their surname. The state of Wu later became a powerful kingdom of its own with the help of Generals Wu Zixu and Sun Tzu, the latter best known as the author of the military treatise The Art of War, both serving under King Helü of Wu. King Helü is considered to be one of the Five Hegemons of China during the Spring and Autumn period.
Taibo and Zhongyong's youngest brother Jili stayed to rule the Zhou state and was the grandfather of Wu Wang (King Wu of Zhou) who started the Zhou Dynasty after successfully overthrowing the Shang Dynasty. The descendants of Wu Wang eventually changed their surname from Ji(姬) to Zhou (周) during the Qin Dynasty to commemorate the merits and virtues of their ancestors.
Therefore, the last names Wu (吳), Zhou (周), and Ji (姬) are historically related.
(in alphabetical order according to their names as spelled in Pinyin, or if unavailable, in English)
姬 吳泰伯 - Taibo of Wu The eldest son of King Tai of Zhou and the legendary founder of the State of Wu, and the propagator of all people with the surname Wu(吳). Ancestral name is Ji(姬).
吳漢 (吴汉) - Wu Han (Han dynasty) Military General of Eastern Han
吳景 (吴景) - Wu Jing (Han dynasty) Military General under Warlord Sun Jian
吳三桂 (吴三桂) - Wu Sangui (1612–1678) - Ming Dynasty General.
吳梅 (吴梅) - Ng Mui (Wu Méi) - one of the legendary Five Elders of the Shaolin Temple.
吳懿 (吴懿) - Wu Yi (Three Kingdoms) General of Shu Han
吴藻 - Wu Zao (1799–1862), Chinese poet
吴倩 -Wu Qian chinese actress
Billy Goh
吳宇森 (吴宇森) - Woo, John, film director
吳光正 (吴光正) - Woo Kwong Ching, Peter, Hong Kong entrepreneur, billionaire and politician
吳辰君 (吴辰君) - Annie Wu 吳辰君, Taiwanese Actress
吳清源 (吳清源) - Wú Qīngyuán (Go Seigen), Chinese-born Japanese Go Player
吳百福 (吴百福) - Wu Baifu (Ando, Momofuku) (1910–2007), Taiwanese-born Japanese inventor of instant noodles
吳邦國 (吴邦国) - Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China
吳尊 - Wu Chun, Brunei-born actor and singer in Taiwanese band Fahrenheit
吳健雄 (吴健雄) - Wu Chien-Shiung, Chinese scientist
吳彥祖 (吴彦祖) - Wu, Daniel, American actor
吳凱文 (吴凯文) - Wu, Kevin, American internet personality
吳振偉 (吴振伟) - Wu, David, congressman from the 1st district of Oregon
吳憲 (吴宪) - Wu, Hsien (1893–1959), an early protein scientist
吳季剛 (吴季刚) - Jason Wu, Taiwanese Canadian fashion designer
吳迪 -Wu Di (pianist), American-Chinese concert pianist
吳鑑泉 (吴鉴泉) - Wu Jianquan (1870–1942), Taijiquan teacher
吴立红 - Wu Lihong, environmental activist
吴乐宝 - Wu Lebao, Chinese cyber-dissident
吳蠻 (吴蛮) - Wu Man, pipa and ruan player
吳明瑛 (吴明瑛) - Wu Mingying (Nancy Wu), Chinese actress
吳慶瑞 (吴庆瑞) - Wu Qingrui (Goh Keng Swee, 1918–2010), former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
吳瑞 - Wu Rui, Chinese eunuch in Lê Dynasty Annam (Vietnam)
吳蕊思 (吴蕊思) - Wu Ruisi (Goh, Theresa Rui Si), Singaporean Paralympic swimmer
吳詩聰 - Shin-Tson Wu (born 1953), American physicist and professor
Wu Shoei-yun
吴水娇 – Wu Shuijiao (born 1992), Chinese track and field hurdler
吳天明 (吴天明) - Wu Tianming, Chinese film director
吳文俊 - Wu Wenjun, Chinese mathematician
吳儀 (吴仪) - Wu Yi, Vice-premier of the People's Republic of China
呉子良 - Wu Ziliang, the birthname of Emi Suzuki, Japanese model of Chinese descent
吳作棟 (吴作栋) - Wu Zuodong (Goh Chok Tong), former Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, current Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore
吴亦凡 - Kris Wu, Ex-member of the Chinese - South Korean Boygroup EXO, Chinese Actor and Singer-songwriter
Frank Wu, science-fiction artist
吳奇隆 - Wu Qilong (Nicky Wu), Chinese Actor/Singer
吴映洁 - Wu Ying Chieh (Gui Gui), Taiwanese Mandopop singer and actress
吳天恩 - Andrew Gotianun (1927-2016), Chinese Filipino businessman
吳奕輝 - John Gokongwei (1926-) Chinese Filipino businessman
吴非 - Wu Fei, Beijinger composer and guzheng performer and improviser
伍連德 - Wu Lien-teh, Chinese physician and plague fighter
Wu, Melissa, Australian diver
伍潔芳 (伍洁芳) - WuDunn, Sheryl, American writer
伍家球 - Wu, William F., science fiction author
伍子胥 - Wu Zixu, general in the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history
伍佰 - Wu Bai, stage name of Taiwanese singer Wu Chun-lin (吳俊霖).
武承嗣 - Wu Chengsi
武松 - Wu Song, hero from the Chinese classic Outlaws of the Marsh.
武则天 - Wu Zetian
鄔君梅 (邬君梅) - Wu Junmei (Vivian Wu), Chinese actress
