GGood Chinese Name

Chinese surname · rank 4

刘

刘 is read as liú.

Pinyin

liú

Script forms

Simplified 刘 · Traditional 劉

Basic meaning

kill; cut

Five element

Metal

Origin

Time: Xia-period legend and later Han imperial surname layer; Xia-dynasty tradition, c. 2070-1600 BCE

Place: Central Plains tradition; later Han imperial line across China

Origin note

The Liu surname has several origin lines. A major tradition centers on Liu Lei, remembered in stories connected with dragon keeping and early northern lineages. The surname later became historically powerful through the Han imperial house, so Liu carries both ancient clan memory and imperial-history weight.

Historical figures

刘邦 (Liu Bang)

256-195 BCE · founder of the Han dynasty

The emperor Gaozu of Han, whose dynasty made Liu one of the most historically resonant Chinese surnames.

刘备 (Liu Bei)

161-223 CE · founder of Shu Han

A Three Kingdoms ruler remembered through historical records and later literary tradition as a major Liu-lineage figure.

Sources checked