Chinese surname · rank 468

由

由 is read as yóu.

Pinyin

yóu

Script forms

Simplified and traditional 由

Basic meaning

cause, reason; from

Five element

Earth

Origin

Time: Spring and Autumn tradition, 770-476 BCE

Place: Jin-to-Qin You Yu tradition; Chu Wangsun Youwu / Yang Youji context; Changsha commandery note.

Origin note

You/由 is kept separate from the ordinary preposition meaning. One layer comes from You Yu, the Jin-origin minister who served Qin Mu Gong; his descendants divided into You and Yu surname lines in later accounts. Another layer comes from Chu personal-name traditions, especially Wangsun Youwu and Yang Youji, whose descendants used the name element You. The page does not claim a classic Baijiaxing placement for this row.

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

Zupulu surname reference: You - You Yu ancestor-name layer and Chu Wangsun Youwu / Yang Youji layers
Baijiayoupu surname reference: You - You Yu and Chu Wangsun Youwu origin layers
Wikipedia: You surname - rare surname overview and ethnic distribution context
23mofang: You surname - modern family distribution and surname-library context
Han Dian: You - basic character meaning and surname listing only

由 🔊

Origin note

Historical figures

Historical figures to enrich

Sources checked

由