Guo (surname 國) explained

L:	country^[1]
T:
S:	国
P:	Guó
W:	Kuo^2
J:	Gwok^3
Mc:	kwok
Oc-Zz:	pronounced as //*kʷɯːɡ//
Poj:	Kok

Guo (trad., simp. 国) is a Chinese surname. It is Romanized as Kuo in Wade-Giles, Kok in Min Nan and Gwok in Cantonese. According to a 2013 study, it was the 339th most common name in China; it was shared by 171,000 people, or 0.013% of the population, being most popular in Shandong.^[2] It is the 354th name in the Hundred Family Surnames poem.^[3]

It should not be confused with the much more common surname Guō (郭) .^[4]

Origins

The surname Guo is claimed to derive from:

• descendants of Guo Ai (國哀), teacher of Yu the Great, first Xia dynasty king
• descendants of a noble family in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC)
• Zi Guo (子國), style name of Fa, a prince in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period^[5]

Notable people

• Guo Yuan (Zini) (國淵, fl. AD 190s–210s), advisor to Cao Cao
• Guo Ai (國哀;), concubine of the Xuande Emperor
• Guo Wei (国伟, born 1969), ice hockey player
• Guo Linyao (国林耀, born 1972), gymnast

Notes and References

1. Web site: My China Roots. www.mychinaroots.com.
2. [Yuan Yida]
3. K. S. Tom. [1989] (1989). Echoes from Old China: Life, Legends and Lore of the Middle Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press. .
4. Web site: ChinesePod. Ugis. Rozkalns. ChinesePod.
5. Web site: Guo Surname/Last Name: Meaning, Origin, Family History 2024. discover.23andme.com.