Chinese surname · rank 239
候
候 is read as hòu.
hòu
Simplified and traditional 候
wait; visit or greet; season or condition
Modern registered-use evidence exists, but independent surname-origin verification remains open.
Earth
Time: Modern registered-use and dictionary evidence, 20th-21st century CE; independent early origin not promoted
Place: Unconfirmed. Registered-use evidence and dictionary note are not enough to assign one origin place.
Evidence notes only: Taichung civil-affairs case confirms household registration use; Han Dian / Guangyun note gives a surname reading and Zhouli Hou-ren wording. These are not enough for source_verified promotion under the project standard.
Meaning and element note
Basic meaning: wait; visit or greet; season or condition
Name-use reading: For the written surname candidate Hou, read the basic character meaning separately from the unresolved surname-origin question.
Origin note
This entry is intentionally kept pending. The evidence found so far points to two cautious facts: some modern records do contain this written surname, and classical dictionary material records a surname use from Hou-ren official wording. At the same time, most surname-origin sources treat the common nearby surname as a different written form. Until an independent surname-origin source for this exact written form is found, the page should not borrow that other surname origin.
Historical figures
Historical figures to enrich
This surname page is ready for a fame-ranked figure list. Later passes can add generals, poets, rulers, artists, scholars and modern public figures with source links.