Chao

Chao is a surname in various cultures. It is the Pinyin spelling of two Chinese surnames ( and ), the Wade–Giles spelling of two others ( or the much rarer , both spelled in Pinyin as Zhào), and a regional or other spelling of two additional Chinese surnames ( Cáo and Zhōu). It is also a Galician and Portuguese surname. Origins Chinese surname Cháo This surname is written with a character meaning "dawn". According to traditional sources including Fengsu Tongyi, Yuanhe Xingzuan, Xingshi Kaolüe, and the surnames/clans section of the Tongzhi encyclopedia, both this surname and another written with a character also meaning "dawn" originated from personal names of people during the Spring and Autumn period, and were adopted by their descendants as surnames, following which some descendants changed their surname from one character to the other. The latter surname originated from , a son of King Jing of Zhou (544–519 BC), while the former originated from Shi Chao of the state of Wei. The biography of Chao Cuo in the Records of the Grand Historian stated that the surname originated in the Nanyang Commandery, specifically in the ancient region of Xi'e.