The 区 surname
Translated from the Chinese article, which is the one that is edited (read it in Chinese).
Ou (区) is one of the surnames of Taishan. As a surname, “区” is read ōu, the same as “欧”, and in Hong Kong it is spelled Au. The Ou are found mainly in Hunan, the Cantonese region (广府) and Hainan.[1] No reliable written record has yet been found of the first migrant ancestor of the Ou of Taishan or of how they came here.
Origin of the surname[edit]
The Ou (区) surname is generally thought to come from a single line with the Ou (欧) and Ouyang (欧阳) surnames, all of them descendants of Goujian (勾践), King of Yue. Tradition holds that in the time of Emperor Jing of the Western Han, a wealthy merchant surnamed Ou (欧) who was generous in doing good won the emperor's favor and was granted the surname “区”, and from then on the 区 surname branched off from the 欧 surname. In the past the three surnames 区, 欧 and 欧阳 were regarded as one clan and did not intermarry.[1] These accounts are mostly legend, and the Wikipedia article gives no earlier documentary basis for them.
Coming to Taishan[edit]
How the Ou came to Taishan and where they live is yet to be added. Family members who know more are welcome to edit this article.
References
- “Ou (surname)”, Chinese Wikipedia 「区姓」，维基百科
Last edited 2026-10-19 06:13 · Written together by this site’s users: anybody signed in can edit it, and every version is kept under History.