Quick Answer: What Is the Xu Surname Written 徐?
The Xu surname (徐，xú) has Mandarin’s second tone. The same character is used in simplified and traditional Chinese.[1]
- Historical association: A traditional account connects the name with the ancient state of Xu.
- Recorded forms: Xu, Hsu and Tsui appear in institutional personal-name records.
- Essential distinction: 徐 differs from the third-tone Xu surname (许／許，xǔ).
A spelling without tone marks cannot settle which Chinese surname a person bears.
The letters Xu may hide a difference that is immediately visible in Chinese. Start with 徐, then distinguish its ancient naming tradition, modern personal spellings and documented changes of surname.
The Character 徐 and Its Second-Tone Reading
The Ministry of Education gives xú and records both a word meaning slowly and the surname. It also distinguishes the ancient state from the geographical abbreviation for Xuzhou. Neither the everyday gloss nor the modern place name establishes an individual family’s history.[1]
2019 mainland rank: 11th.[9]
The Xu State in the Traditional Account
Tongzhi (通志，tōngzhì) links the state with Boyi (伯益，bóyì) and his son Ruomu (若木，ruòmù), placing it within the Ying lineage (嬴姓，yíng xìng). Its narrative describes the state’s successive rulers and eventual destruction by Wu, followed by descendants taking Xu as their surname.[2]
The early figures belong to a transmitted ancient genealogy. The account supplies a historical tradition to investigate, not a documented chain connecting every modern Xu household to Ruomu.[2]
Xu, Hsu and Tsui in Actual Names
These examples demonstrate established personal usage. Keep the spelling a person or institution actually records.
| Recorded form | Documented Chinese name |
|---|---|
| Xu | Kun Xu (徐昆，xú kūn), on HKUST’s engineering profile.[3] |
| Hsu | Winston Hsu (徐宏民，xú hóngmín), on National Taiwan University’s departmental profile.[4] |
| Tsui | Ophelia K. C. Tsui (徐崑翠，xú kūncuì), on HKUST’s physics profile.[5] |
徐 and 许 Are Different Surnames
The third-tone Xu surname is a different name. 許 is its traditional character; 许 is simplified.[6][7]
For that name, see the third-tone Xu surname guide. When reading an unaccented Xu or Hsu, request the Chinese name rather than choosing a character from the spelling alone.
A Recorded Surname Change: Xu Shiji and Li
The Old Book of Tang states that Xu Shiji (徐世勣，xú shìjì), later known as Li Ji (李勣，lǐ jì), originally bore Xu and was granted the Li surname. It separately explains the shortening of his given name.[8]
That is an actual recorded change of Chinese surname. It is a different kind of evidence from two spellings of 徐, and it does not establish a general relationship between every Xu and Li family.
How to Compare Xu Family Records
- Copy the exact Chinese surname and complete personal name.
- Retain the original Latin spelling, with its document date and place.
- Connect entries through relatives and generations, recording an actual character change only when evidence supports it.
FAQs About the Xu Surname Written 徐
Are 徐 and 许 the Same Surname?
No. 徐 is xú, with the second tone; 许／許 is xǔ, with the third. They remain different Chinese surnames.[1][6]
Is Hsu Always Written 徐?
Winston Hsu’s record shows that Hsu can represent 徐. It is still necessary to check another person’s own Chinese name.[4]
Does 徐 Mean a Person Is Slow?
No personality inference follows. Slowly is a word sense of 徐; a surname does not describe its bearer’s habits or abilities.[1]
Sources
[1] Ministry of Education. 徐: Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary
[2] Zheng Qiao. Tongzhi, volume 26: Xu account
[3] HKUST. Kun Xu
[4] National Taiwan University. Winston Hsu
[5] HKUST. Ophelia K. C. Tsui
[6] Ministry of Education. 許: Concised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary
[7] Academia Sinica. 許 and 许: Character comparison
[8] Old Book of Tang. Volume 67: Xu Shiji
[9] Ministry of Public Security, via reproduced report. 2019 National Name Report