Chinese surname · rank 238

娄 is read as lóu.

Pinyin

lóu

Script forms

Simplified 娄 · Traditional 婁

Basic meaning

a constellation; to wear

Five element

Earth

Origin

Time: Western Zhou Qi enfeoffment tradition, Warring States destruction of Qi/Zhulou layers, and later Northern Dynasties and Qing adoption layers; Xia-dynasty tradition, c. 2070-1600 BCE

Place: Qi at today's Qixian, Henan; Lou fief near today's southwestern Zhucheng, Shandong; Zhulou/Zou around today's southeastern Zouxian, Shandong; later Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou clusters

Origin note

娄 is a multi-source surname with two major state or fief layers. One is Si-surname: after King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed Donglou Gong, a descendant of Xia Shaokang, at Qi in today's Qixian, Henan, later Qi branches held or moved to a Lou fief near today's southwestern Zhucheng, Shandong, and descendants used Lou as their surname. The second is Cao-surname: Cao Xie was enfeoffed at Zhu, also known as Zhulou or Zou, in today's southeastern Zouxian, Shandong; after Chu destroyed the state in the Warring States period, some descendants used Zhulou or Lou. Later records add outside-line layers, including Xianbei Pilou, Yilou, and Yinalou changes, Tuyuhun Lou names, and Manchu Yuhulu-to-Lou adoption.

Historical figures

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