Chiu
A common Chinese surname, often linked to a place-name origin in southern China and widely found in overseas Chinese communities.
The #2,735 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,436 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Chiu is a Romanized Chinese surname, most often representing Mandarin Qiu or related southern Chinese pronunciations. The underlying Chinese character is usually 邱/丘, a word meaning “mound” or “hill,” which points to a place-based origin. In older English-language systems, Chiu commonly reflects Cantonese- or other southern-based transliteration rather than a separate surname in itself.
History
The surname is longstanding in China and is especially familiar in Cantonese-speaking and other southern Chinese diaspora communities. In modern English usage, Chiu is one of several spellings that may render the same Chinese surname, alongside forms such as Chiu, Chow, or Qiu depending on dialect and romanization system. The historical excerpts provided do not directly discuss this surname, so this entry relies on general onomastic knowledge.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because romanization varies by dialect and system, two people spelled “Chiu” in English may come from the same Chinese surname even if their family histories look different on paper.
From the historical record
“name from the barony of St. George, near Limoges, where, upon the authority of an old inscribed chiu-ch bell, recast in 1G87, they were seated in A.D. 888 — though this may well be questioned. Baldwin de St. George came hither with the Conqueror and became ancestor of the St. Georges of Hat- field St. George, and…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom