100 Cool Asian Last Names
Last names are not only mere identifiers; they elicit a tremendous sense of history, culture, and family.
In Asia, surnames tend to have representatives that indicate ancestral roots, social hierarchies, and even what one believes philosophically.
The widespread “Kim” in Korea, the poetic “Li” in China, and the noble “Rajput” in India-all said to tell a story.
This article will introduce readers to the origins, meanings, and fascinating traditions behind Asian last names that can shape identities and cultures with such diversity.
Asian last names
Li (李) – “Plum”
Wang (王) – “King”
Zhang (张) – “Bow” or “To stretch”
Liu (刘) – “To kill” or “A battle-axe”
Chen (陈) – “To exhibit” or “Ancient state of Chen”
Yang (杨) – “Poplar tree”
Huang (黄) – “Yellow”
Zhao (赵) – “To surpass” or “Ancient state of Zhao”
Xu (徐) – “Slow, gentle”
Lin (林) – “Forest”
Nguyen (阮) – Common Vietnamese surname, derived from a ruling dynasty
Tran (陈) – Vietnamese form of “Chen,” meaning “To exhibit”
Le (黎) – Vietnamese name meaning “Dawn” or “Black”
Hoang (黄) – Vietnamese form of “Huang,” meaning “Yellow”
Pham (范) – Vietnamese surname meaning “Pattern” or “Mold”
Doan (段) – Vietnamese name meaning “Segment” or “Section”
Kim (김) – Korean surname meaning “Gold”
Park (박) – Korean surname meaning “Gourd”
Choi (최) – Korean surname meaning “High” or “Lofty”
Jung (정) – Korean surname meaning “Righteous”
Kang (강) – Korean surname meaning “River”
Yoon (윤) – Korean surname meaning “Govern”
Sharma (शर्मा) – Indian surname meaning “Joy” or “Comfort”
Patel (પટેલ) – Indian surname meaning “Village Chief”
Singh (सिंह) – Indian surname meaning “Lion”
Gupta (गुप्ता) – Indian surname meaning “Protector” or “Governor”
Rao (राव) – Indian surname meaning “King” or “Prince”
Das (दास) – Indian surname meaning “Servant” or “Devotee”
Bai (白) – Chinese surname meaning “White” or “Pure”
Gao (高) – Chinese surname meaning “Tall” or “High”
Ma (马) – Chinese surname meaning “Horse”
Takahashi (高橋) – Japanese surname meaning “Tall Bridge”
Tanaka (田中) – Japanese surname meaning “Central Rice Field”
Yamamoto (山本) – Japanese surname meaning “Base of the Mountain”
Kobayashi (小林) – Japanese surname meaning “Small Forest”
Fujimoto (藤本) – Japanese surname meaning “Origin of the Wisteria”
Hirano (平野) – Japanese surname meaning “Flat Field”
Sun (孙) – Chinese surname meaning “Grandchild” or “Descendant”
Feng (冯) – Chinese surname meaning “Gallop” or “Horse”
Oh (오) – Korean surname meaning “Five”
Han (韩) – Korean surname meaning “Country” or referring to the Han dynasty
Abe (安倍) – Japanese surname meaning “Peaceful Section”
Hoshino (星野) – Japanese surname meaning “Field of Stars”
Ishikawa (石川) – Japanese surname meaning “Stone River”
Nakamura (中村) – Japanese surname meaning “Central Village”
Rajput (राजपूत) – Indian surname meaning “Son of a King”
Hidayat (هداية) – Common Malay and Indonesian surname meaning “Guidance”
Tan (陈) – Common Singaporean and Malaysian surname derived from “Chen”
Go (吳) – Filipino surname of Chinese origin, meaning “Wu”
Lim (林) – Common surname in Southeast Asia, meaning “Forest”
Deng (邓) – Chinese surname meaning “To ascend”
Cai (蔡) – Chinese surname referring to the ancient Cai state
Kwan (关) – Chinese surname meaning “Frontier pass”
Luo (罗) – Chinese surname meaning “Net” or “To catch”
Hao (郝) – Chinese surname meaning “Good”
Shi (施) – Chinese surname meaning “To bestow” or “To grant”
He (何) – Chinese surname meaning “Why” or “River”
Qiu (邱) – Chinese surname meaning “Hill”
Zheng (郑) – Chinese surname referring to the ancient state of Zheng
Kuo (郭) – Chinese surname meaning “Outer city wall”
Bui (裴) – Vietnamese surname meaning “To cover”
Luu (刘) – Vietnamese version of “Liu,” meaning “Battle-axe”
Ngô (吳) – Vietnamese surname derived from the ancient Wu state
Võ (武) – Vietnamese surname meaning “Martial” or “Military”
Bach (白) – Vietnamese surname meaning “White”
Yun (尹) – Korean surname meaning “To rule”
Seo (서) – Korean surname meaning “West”
Cha (차) – Korean surname meaning “Chariot”
Moon (문) – Korean surname meaning “Literature” or “Door”
Hwang (황) – Korean surname meaning “Yellow”
Ueda (上田) – Japanese surname meaning “Upper Rice Field”
Matsumoto (松本) – Japanese surname meaning “Base of a Pine Tree”
Shimizu (清水) – Japanese surname meaning “Pure Water”
Ono (小野) – Japanese surname meaning “Small Field”
Hoshikawa (星川) – Japanese surname meaning “Star River”
Okada (岡田) – Japanese surname meaning “Rice Field on a Hill”
Bhatt (भट्ट) – Indian surname meaning “Priest” or “Scholar”
Mehta (मेहता) – Indian surname meaning “Chief” or “Leader”
Iyer (अय्यर) – Indian Brahmin surname meaning “Respected Scholar”
Verma (वर्मा) – Indian surname meaning “Armor” or “Protection”
Chowdhury (চৌধুরী) – Indian and Bangladeshi surname meaning “Landowner”
Malhotra (मल्होत्रा) – Indian surname meaning “Descendant of the Mall clan”
Reddy (రెడ్డి) – Indian surname meaning “Leader” or “Chief”
Nair (നായർ) – Indian surname from Kerala, referring to a warrior caste
Ghosh (ঘোষ) – Indian surname meaning “Famous” or “Cowherd”
Sen (সেন) – Indian surname meaning “Army” or “Warrior”
Prasad (प्रसाद) – Indian surname meaning “Gift” or “Offering”
Dasgupta (দাশগুপ্ত) – Indian surname meaning “Servant of the Gupta family”
Salim (سلیم) – Common Malay and Indonesian surname meaning “Safe” or “Peaceful”
Suharto – Indonesian surname from Javanese origins, meaning “Good Wealth”
Iskandar (إسكندر) – Malay surname derived from “Alexander”
Rizal – Filipino surname honoring national hero José Rizal
Lacson – Filipino surname of Chinese origin, meaning “Happy Mountain”
Yap (葉) – Common Filipino surname of Chinese origin, meaning “Leaf”
Ocampo – Filipino surname of Spanish origin, meaning “Field”
Goh (吴) – Singaporean surname of Chinese origin, meaning “Wu”
Chia (谢) – Singaporean surname of Chinese origin, meaning “Thanks”
Wibowo – Indonesian surname meaning “Prosperity”
Wijaya – Indonesian surname meaning “Victory”
Thapa (थापा) – Nepali surname of Kshatriya warrior class
