Editing Chinese surname (section)

== Distribution of surnames ==
{| class="wikitable" align="right" style="text-align:center; width:30%"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background:#ccc;"| Regions with high concentration of particular surnames
|-
! width="33%" | Region
! width="33%" | Surnames
|-
! [[Liaoning]]
| [[Zhang (surname)|Zhang]] (张/張), [[Jiāng (surname 江)|Jiang]] (江)
|-
! [[Guangdong]]
| [[Liang (surname)|Liang/Leung]] (梁), [[Luo (surname)|Luo]] (罗/羅), [[Kuang (surname)|Kuang]] (邝/鄺), Chan/[[Chen (surname)|Chen]] (陈/陳), [[Huang (surname) |Huang/Wong]] (黄/黃)
|-
! [[Guangxi]]
| Liang (梁), [[Lu (surname 陆)|Lu]] (陆/陸), [[Zhang (surname 章)|Zhang/Chong]] (章), [[Huang (surname) |Huang]] (黄/黃)
|-
! [[Fujian]]
| [[Zheng (surname)|Zheng]] (郑/鄭), [[Lin (surname)|Lin]] (林), [[Huang (surname) |Huang]] (黄/黃), [[Xǔ (surname)|Xǔ]] (许/許), [[Xie (surname)|Xie]] (谢/謝), 
|-
![[Hainan]]
|[[Fu (surname 符)|Fú]] (符)
|-
! [[Anhui]]
| [[Wāng|Wang]] (汪)
|-
! [[Jiangsu]]
| [[Xu (surname 徐)|Xú]] (徐), [[Zhu (surname)|Zhu]] (朱)
|-
! Shanghai
| [[Wang (surname)|Wang]] (王), [[Yang (surname)|Yang]] (杨/楊)
|-
! [[Zhejiang]]
| [[Mao (surname)|Mao]] (毛), [[Shěn (surname)|Shen]] (沈)
|-
! [[Jiangxi]]
| [[Hu (surname)|Hu]] (胡)
|-
! [[Hubei]]
| Hu (胡)
|-
! [[Hunan]]
| [[Tan (surname)|Tan/Tom]] (谭/譚), [[Huang (surname) |Huang]] (黄/黃)
|-
! [[Sichuan]]
| [[He (surname)|He]] (何), [[Deng (Chinese surname)|Deng]] (邓/鄧)
|-
! [[Guizhou]]
| [[Wu (surname)|Wu]] (吴/吳)
|-
! [[Yunnan]]
| [[Yang (surname)|Yang]] (杨/楊)
|-
! [[Henan]]
| [[Cheng (surname)|Cheng]] (程)
|-
! [[Gansu]]
| [[Gao (surname)|Gao]] (高)
|-
! [[Ningxia]]
| [[Wan (surname)|Wan]] (万/萬)
|-
! [[Shaanxi]]
| [[Xue]] (薛)
|-
! [[Qinghai]]
| [[Bao (surname)|Bao]] (鲍/鮑)
|-
! [[Xinjiang]]
| [[Ma (surname)|Ma]] (马/馬)
|-
! [[Shandong]]
| [[Kong (surname)|Kong]] (孔)
|-
! [[Shanxi]]
| [[Dong (Chinese surname)|Dong]] (董) and [[Guo]] (郭)
|-
! [[Inner Mongolia]]
| [[Pan (surname)|Pan]] (潘)
|-
! [[Northeast China]]
| [[Yu (surname 于)|Yu]] (于)
|-
|}

Surnames are not evenly distributed throughout China's geography. In northern China, Wáng ([[Wiktionary:王#Chinese|王]]) is the most common surname, being shared by 9.9% of the population. Next are Lǐ ([[Wiktionary:李#Chinese|李]]), Zhāng ([[Wiktionary:张#Chinese|张]]/[[Wiktionary:張#Chinese|張]]) and Liú ([[Wiktionary:刘#Chinese|刘]]/[[Wiktionary:劉#Chinese|劉]]). In the south, Chén ([[Wiktionary:陈#Chinese|陈]]/[[Wiktionary:陳#Chinese|陳]]) is the most common, being shared by 10.6% of the population. Next are Lǐ (李), Huáng ([[Wiktionary:黄#Chinese|黄]]/[[Wiktionary:黃#Chinese|黃]]), Lín ([[Wiktionary:林#Chinese|林]]) and Zhāng (张/張). Around the major crossing points of the [[Yangtze River|Yangzi River]], the most common surname is Lĭ (李), taking up 7.7%, followed by Wáng (王), Zhāng (张/張), Chan/Chén (陈/陳) and Liú (刘/劉).

A 1987 study showed over 450 family names in common use in Beijing, but there were fewer than 300 family names in [[Fujian]].{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} Furthermore, a 2012 study found that there was the lowest amount of [[:wikt:isonymy|isonymy]] in surnames among the population around middle and lower reaches of [[Yangtze River]] both on the provincial and county levels.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid = 22460442|year = 2012|last1 = Liu|first1 = Y.|last2 = Chen|first2 = L.|last3 = Yuan|first3 = Y.|last4 = Chen|first4 = J.|title = A study of surnames in China through isonymy|journal = American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume = 148|issue = 3|pages = 341–50|doi = 10.1002/ajpa.22055}}</ref> Additionally, it was found that counties with the highest values of isonymy were distributed in the provinces with high proportions of ethnic minorities. According to the [[dendrogram]] of surname distances, several clusters could be identified. Most provinces in a cluster were [[:wikt:coterminous|conterminous]] with one another. The one exception to this pattern could be explained by [[Demic diffusion|demic]] migration observed where the Han Chinese migrated to [[Northeastern China]].

A study by [[geneticist]] [[Yuan Yida]] has found that of all the people with a particular surname, there tends to be a population concentration in a certain province,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Jiawei |last2=Chen |first2=Liujun |last3=Liu |first3=Yan |last4=Li |first4=Xiaomeng |last5=Yuan |first5=Yida |last6=Wang |first6=Yougui |date=August 2019 |title=An index of Chinese surname distribution and its implications for population dynamics |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |language=en |volume=169 |issue=4 |pages=608–618 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.23863 |issn=0002-9483 |pmc=6771642 |pmid=31140593}}</ref> as tabulated to the right. It does not show, however, the most common surnames in any one province.

The 55th most common family name "Xiào" ([[Wiktionary:肖#Chinese|肖]]) appears to be very rare in Hong Kong. This is explained by the fact Hong Kong uses [[traditional Chinese character]]s rather than [[simplified Chinese character]]s. Originally, the surname [[Wiktionary:蕭#Chinese|蕭]] (Xiāo) was rather common while the surname 肖 (Xiào) was extremely rare, if not non-existent (it is mentioned only sporadically in historical texts). The first round of simplification in 1956 simplified 蕭 into [[Wiktionary:萧#Chinese|萧]], keeping 蕭/萧 and 肖 distinct. However the [[Second round of simplified Chinese characters|second-round]] in 1977, which has long been abolished, merged 萧 and 肖 into 肖. Despite the retraction of the second round, some people have kept 肖 as their surname, so that there are now two separate surnames, 萧 and 肖.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

Chén ([[Wiktionary:陈#Chinese|陈]]/[[Wiktionary:陳#Chinese|陳]]) is perhaps the most common surname in [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]], where it is romanized as Chan.  It is the [[List of common Chinese surnames#Singapore|most common Chinese surname]] in [[Singapore]], where it is usually romanized as Tan, and is also common in [[Taiwan]], where it is romanized as Chén.

Fāng ([[Wiktionary:方#Chinese|方]]), which is only the 47th most common overall, is much more common in San Francisco's Chinatown in the United States, although the surname is more often than not romanized as Fong, as based on the [[Yue Chinese|Yue]] dialect. As with the concentration of family names, this can also be explained statistically, as a person with an uncommon name moving to an unsettled area and leaving his family name to large number of descendants.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

After the [[Song dynasty]], surname distributions in China largely settled down.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} The [[Kuang (surname)|Kuàng]] ([[Wiktionary:邝#Chinese|邝]]/[[Wiktionary:鄺#Chinese|鄺]]) family, for example, migrated from the northern capital and settled in [[Guangdong]] after the Song dynasty revolts.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} Villages are often made up of a single [[patrilineage]] with individuals having the same surname, often with a common male ancestor. They usually intermarry with others from nearby villages, creating genetic clusters.