毛
Máo · #64 in China
Meaning 'hair', 'fur' or 'feather', the character depicts individual strands. The surname is traced to the Mao state, a Zhou Dynasty fief in Henan. It is most common in Zhejiang and Hunan provinces. No bearer of this surname has had more global impact on the 20th century than its most famous son.
Famous bearers
- Mao Zedong (毛泽东) — founder of the People's Republic of China, Chairman of the Communist Party 1945–1976
Pronunciation guide
In Mandarin Pinyin, 毛 is romanized as Máo — a second (rising) tone syllable. To pronounce it correctly: say the syllable with a rising pitch contour. Unlike English surnames where stress varies by speaker, Mandarin tones are fixed — the same pitch every time. In international settings (business cards, email signatures), the Pinyin spelling Máo is the standard romanization.
Pairing a given name with 毛
Chinese names read surname-first: 毛 + given name. The surname is fixed; all the creative and meaningful work happens in the given name. Two practical rules for pairing:
- Avoid phonetic echo. If the given name's first syllable starts with the same consonant as Máo, the name sounds like a stutter. Move away from the surname's initial sound.
- Contrast the tone. The surname 毛 is rising — a given name whose first character rises or falls from that pitch sounds more composed than one that repeats the same contour.
A recognizable Chinese surname, less saturated than the top 10 but found in every province. That rarity profile should inform your given-name ambition: a very common surname benefits from a more distinctive, well-crafted given name to stand out in any class roster or company directory. Run the free generator — it automatically scores every candidate for tone flow against any surname you enter.