Yao

Yao surname in regular script
Pronunciation	Yáo (Pinyin) Iâu (Pe̍h-ōe-jī)
Language(s)	Chinese
Origin
Language(s)	Old Chinese
Word/name	Henan Fan County or Shandong[1]
Other names
Variant form(s)	Yao (Mandarin) Yiu (Cantonese) Lao, Lau, Yeow (Hokkien) Diêu, Dao (Vietnamese) Yo (Korean) Yō (Japanese)

Yao (Chinese: 姚; pinyin: Yáo), also romanized as Yiu in Cantonese, is one of the most ancient Chinese surnames, the "Eight Great Xings of High Antiquity". It is also unique that, along with Jiang 姜 it is still in common use in the modern day. It is listed 101st in the Hundred Family Surnames, and as the 51st most common surname in Mainland China.^[2]

• Mandarin: Yao
• Cantonese: Iu, Yiu
• Min Nan (Hokkien (Fujian)/Teochew): Lao, Lau, Yeow
• Vietnamese: Diêu, Dao
• Korean: Yo
• Japanese: Yō
• Singapore: Yow, Yeo, Iau
• Malaysia: Yeow

• Yao Chonghua, the name of Emperor Shun of pre-dynastic China, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
• Yao Chang, founding emperor of the Later Qin Dynasty
• Yao Ming, Chinese professional basketball player and humanitarian
• Andrew Yao, Chinese computer scientist and A.M. Turing Award laureate
• Jianping Yao, Canadian engineer
• Yao Defen, former world's tallest woman
• Yao Wenyuan, member of the Gang of Four
• MC HotDog (born name as Yao Chung-jen), Taiwanese rapper
• Yao Beina, Chinese singer
• Yao Chen, Chinese actress
• Yao Jen-to, Vice Chairperson and Secretary-General of Straits Exchange Foundation of the Republic of China
• Yao Leeh-ter, Political Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of China (2017–2019)
• Yao Mingming, Former member of K-pop group BLK and C-pop Group UNINE
• Yao Wenlong, Malaysia born Singapore actor

• Claire Yiu, Hong Kong actress
• Edward Yiu, Hong Kong scholar and politician
• Raymond Yiu, Hong Kong composer
• Yiu Cheuk Yin, Hong Kong footballer
• Yiu Ho Ming, Hong Kong footballer
• Yiu Si-wing, Hong Kong lawmaker
• Chantel Yiu, Hong Kong singer and actress

• Yeow Chai Thiam, Malaysian politician.

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Yao.
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