Chinese surname · rank 155

苗

苗 is read as miáo.

Pinyin

miáo

Script forms

Simplified and traditional 苗

Basic meaning

young grain or plant; seedling; offspring or descendants; Miao ethnic group

Five element

Earth

Origin

Time: Spring and Autumn period; tied to Benhuang flight to Jin after the Ruoao disorder and before the Battle of Yanling record in 575 BCE.

Place: Miao fief, identified by the Jiyuan local-history page as west of present-day Jiyuan, Henan.

Origin note

The supported origin story is that Miao came from a Chu noble line: Bo Fen son Benhuang fled to Jin after the Ruoao disorder, received Miao as a fief, served Jin as a strategist, and descendants took the fief name Miao as their surname.

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.

Sources checked

Han Dian: Miao - basic character meanings including young grain/plant, offspring, and surname usage
Chinese Text Project: Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xiang 26 - direct classical record that Benhuang fled to Jin and Jin gave him Miao
Shidian Guji: Fengsu Tongyi / Quan Hou Han Wen surname fragment - direct surname-origin statement: descendants of Bo Fen; Benhuang held Miao as fief and took it as surname
Jiyuan local-history page: surname culture - local-history identification of Miao fief as west of present-day Jiyuan, Henan, and place-name surname summary

苗 🔊

Origin note

Historical figures

Historical figures to enrich

Sources checked

苗