Xiao (surname) - History

History

The Xiao family originated from Xiao County in Anhui province, China. In the kingdom of Xiao (萧国) in ancient China, an emperor took the name Xiao DaXin (萧大心) during the Zhou Dynasty; he was the first Xiao. After him, Xiao He was the first prime minister of the Han Dynasty. Later on, his descendant Xiao Biao (萧彪) and his family moved to Lanling (兰陵), now Fengxian (峰县) in Shandong province, due to political problems during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. The Xiao people therefore also trace their history to Lanling, and sometimes they are called Lanling Xiao (“兰陵萧”).

Another mass movement of Xiao people came during Western Jin Dynasty "Yongjia Rebellion" (西晋永嘉之乱), Xiao Chen (萧整) moved to Danyang (江苏省丹阳市). It was also called South Lanling (南兰陵). The descendants of Danyang Xiao (丹阳萧氏) later founded two dynasties: Xiao Daocheng (萧道成) founded the Southern Qi (南齐) dynasty and become the emperor; and Xiao Yan (萧衍) founded the Southern Liang dynasty (南梁) and became the emperor.

During the Tang dynasty (唐朝), there were 9(8+1) Xiao family members appointed as prime ministers, the continuous eight prime ministers(八叶传芳” 、“八叶世家”). The first was 唐贞观朝宰相萧瑀, followed by the other eight Xiao families; his great grand nephew (曾侄孙) Xiao Song(唐开元朝宰相萧嵩)，Xiao Song's eldest son Xiao Hwa (萧嵩长子，唐上元宰相萧华)，Xiao Hwa's nephew Xiao Fu 萧华的侄子、唐肃宗朝宰相萧復，Xiao Hwa's grandson Xiao Foo (萧华的孙子，唐穆宗朝宰相萧俯)，Xiao Fu's grandson Xiao Zhen (萧復的孙子，唐咸通朝宰相萧真)，Xiao Hwa's grandson Xiao Fan (萧华的孙子、唐咸通朝宰相萧仿)，Xiao Fan's son Xiao Gou (萧仿的儿子、唐中和宰相萧遘). There were altogether 9 prime ministers in Tang Dynasty.

The Jiang family (江氏) from Jiangwan 江湾, Wuyuan 婺源, Anhui 安徽省 Province (now Jiangxi, 江西省) was actually from the Xiao family, they called themselves Xiao Jiang family (萧江氏). Xiao Jiang family was actually Xiao family from Danyang (丹阳 (南兰陵) 东城里萧氏). When the Later Liang Dynasty (后梁) took over Tang Dynasty (907年朱温篡唐，改国号为梁，史称五代后梁), Xiao Zhen (萧桢) a general with Tang Dynasty revolted against Later Liang Dynasty but failed. Xiao Zhen was the 2nd son of late Tang Prime Minister Xiao Gou (唐末宰相萧遘次子萧桢). The Xiao family left Danyang and escape to the south. They changed their surname to Jiang, Xiao Zhen (萧桢) became Jiang Zhen (江桢), and he was the founder of Xiao Jiang family (萧江氏始祖). They later moved to Yunwan (云湾), which changed the name to Jiangwan (江湾). So Xiao Jiang family is also from Xiao family. The former President of China, Mr Jiang Zemin (江泽民）is from Xiao Jiang family, is actually Xiao family.

During Southern Song dynasty (南宋), Xiao Guoliang (萧国梁) was the pioneer of Zhangzhou, Fujian Province Xiao people (福建漳州萧氏的开基始祖). His grandson, Xiao Xun (萧洵) was the county magistrate of Chaoyang (潮阳), Guangdong. He become the founder of Chaoyangxiao (潮阳萧氏的开基始祖). There were Xiao family moved across the sea to Taiwan island during this period.

During Yuan dynasty, Xiao people moved from Jiangxi(江西) to Guangdong, Meizhou (广东梅州) and Dapu (大埔). They are mainly the Hakka Xiao.

In the early Ming dynasty, there were declining population in the north China & central (中原地区) due to the wars. The Ming government in order to increase the population, and to start the economic recovery in these war-torn area, organized many large scale forced mass migration to the area. From the area less affected by the war in Shanxi Province, moved to the war-torn, less-populated area of the North and Central China. The people were ordered to move to a location near "the tree"(大槐树), and ready for the family migration. The Shanxi-xiao are also included in the large concentration of "immigrants under the tree" (在大槐树下集中移民), which were moved to Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shanxi and other places. Today, Xiao people still dedicated to their ancestor of the "immigrants under the tree" the memorial tablets (萧姓迁民始祖牌位) at the fourth cabinet of the memorial hall at the "large tree roots memorial garden" (大槐树寻根祭祖园祭祖堂四号供橱).

During the Ming dynasty, many of the Xiao family from the armies also moved into the Yunnan(云南), they became the pioneers of Yunnan Xiao(云南萧氏).

During the Ming (明朝)and Qing dynasties (清朝), there were also mass migration of Xiao people from Jiangxi (江西) to Sichuan (四川). This was especially end of both Yuan(元末) & Ming (明末) dynasty, where there were two major revolution wars. The historian called the process of mass migration as "Jiangxi filled Huguang, Huguang filled Sichuan"("江西填湖广，湖广填四川"). "Huguang" refers to the provinces of Hunan and Guangdong. According to historical materials, from the beginning of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong years, Xiao had huge wave of millions people moved to Sichuan.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty(清朝), Chinese begin the labour migration to other countries, and Xiao people also later traveled/moved to all over the world e.g. Vietnam,Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia. There were also migration from Fujian province to Taiwan.

During the civil war in Modern China, Xiao people (especially from Fujian) moved to Taiwan with Kok Ming Tang armies. In Taiwan, Xiao live primarily in the cities and counties of Changhua(彰化), Chiayi(嘉义), Taipei(台北), Kaohsiung(高雄)and Taoyuan(桃园).Today, Xiao is the 30th-most common surname in Taiwan's total population.

In Malaysia & Singapore (former colony of the British empire, and used direct translation from the various Chinese dialects), the Hokkian or Teochew Chinese romanized "Xiao" as "Seow". Teochew "Seow" are mainly Chaoyangxiao (潮阳萧氏) from Chaoyang (潮阳), Guangdong (广东省), China. The Hakka "Xiao"Chinese(客籍萧氏), especially Huichew Hakka (客籍广东惠州萧氏)of Titi(知知港) (in Negeri Sembilan state of Malaysia), a village town with a high concentration of Hakka people with the surname of Xiao, romanized "Xiao" as "Siow" or "Seow". The young may also use "Xiao" if they follow pinyin.

The World Congress of Xiao people was held in Chaoyang(潮阳),Kwangtung Province(广东省), China in 2010.