Bai Jia Xing compound surname #13
澹台
澹台 is read as Tántái. It is one of the 60 compound surnames in the expanded Bai Jia Xing sequence.
Tántái
Simplified 澹台 · Traditional 澹臺
place-name surname from Tantai Mountain or Tantai locality
Water
Time: Spring and Autumn period, 770-476 BCE
Place: Tantai place tradition in Shandong; Suzhou lake variant also circulates
Origin
澹台 is usually tied to a place called Tantai and to Tantai Mieming, a disciple of Confucius. Some accounts connect it with Tantai Mountain in Shandong, while others mention Tantai Lake; the safe point is a place-derived surname with a Confucian disciple anchor.
Name meaning
The surname sounds classical and restrained. Its main cultural value is the moral-learning story around Tantai Mieming.
Historical figures
澹台灭明 Tantai Mieming
Tantai Mieming was a disciple of Confucius, giving the surname a strong classical anchor.