The 莫 surname

Mo (莫) is one of the surnames of Taishan. Mo ranks 168th in the Hundred Family Surnames (《百家姓》); there are several accounts of its origin, such as a clan name taken from a place or from an office, and today it is most common in Guangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong and other provinces.^[1]

Origin of the surname[edit]

The main accounts of the Mo surname's origin are these: according to the Brief Study of Surnames (《姓氏考略》), in high antiquity Zhuanxu (颛顼) built the city of Moyang (莫阳城, in today's Hebei), and later people took the place name as their clan name; in the Spring and Autumn period the state of Chu had a hereditary office called “Mo'ao” (莫敖), and the descendants of its holders took the name of the office as their clan name; the Comprehensive Treatises: Treatise on Clans (《通志·氏族略》), on the other hand, holds that Mo is a shortened form of “Mu” (幕), from Mu, an ancestor of Shun of Yu (虞舜). In addition, among the Northern Wei, the Western Xia, the Manchu, and minority peoples such as the Zhuang and the Buyei, some adopted or use the Mo surname. Its ancestral commanderies are Julu (钜鹿) and Jiangling (江陵).^[1]

How the Mo came to Taishan and where they live is yet to be added. Family members who know more are welcome to edit this article.