Xie
A common Chinese surname, most often romanized from several different Chinese characters and regional pronunciations.
The #3,662 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 31,777 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Xie is a Chinese family name written with different characters in different lineages, most famously 謝/谢, which means “to thank” or “to apologize.” Because Chinese surnames are tied to specific characters and dialects, the same Roman spelling can represent more than one original surname form and pronunciation. In English-language records, Xie most commonly reflects Mandarin pinyin for 謝, pronounced Xiè.
History
The surname has a long history in China and is borne by many unrelated lineages. In modern usage it is especially common in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and overseas Chinese communities. Romanized forms vary by dialect and transcription system, so older records may show related spellings such as Hsieh or Tse.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Xie can map to more than one Chinese character and dialect tradition, two people with the same Roman spelling are not always from the same ancestral surname line.
From the historical record
“d'homme grisonnant ihauçant, bal- zan, oil). On trouve des Balzanus à Marseille, an xie siècle. Balson. Dérivé de Bals. On ren- contre sa forme latine Balzo an ixe siècle.”
— Dictionnaire des noms (French surnames)