Key events in the history of the Xiao (肖) surname
8 dated events in the history of the Xiao (肖) surname, as recorded in Chinese sources.
Ming dynasty, Wanli reign period (万历)
Ling Dizhi's 'Comprehensive Genealogical Compendium of Ten Thousand Surnames' (Wan Xing Tong Pu, 万姓统谱), Volume 103, records notable Xiao (肖) surname figures from the Han dynasty, including Xiao Angu (肖安固) and Xiao Shi (肖始), as well as Xiao Jing (肖靖) from the Ming dynasty.
Qing dynasty
According to the 'Shi Zu Lue' (氏族略), Xiao Yaqi (肖雅奇) of the Han Chinese Plain Yellow Banner served as a third-rank imperial bodyguard.
1921
The Commercial Press published the Dictionary of Chinese Personal Names, which included the surname 'Xiao (肖)', but the entry 'Xiao Naitai (肖乃台)' was actually a personal name, not a surname.
1960
Mainland China promulgated the Draft of the Second Chinese Character Simplification Scheme, laying the groundwork for the large-scale emergence of the Xiao (肖) surname thereafter.
1986
The second round of simplified Chinese characters was officially abolished, but most members of the Xiao (萧) surname who had already changed their surname to Xiao (肖) did not revert to the original surname.
2005
The Department of Language and Character Management of the Ministry of Education responded that both 'Xiao' (肖) and 'Xiao' (萧) are standardized Chinese characters, and surname changes should follow the principle of 'names as chosen by the individual' and be applied for in accordance with household registration regulations.
2007
In 2007, the Household Registration Administration of the Ministry of the Interior of Taiwan Province published A Compendium of Surnames across China (Quan Guo Xing Shi Yao Lan, 全国姓氏要览), which listed the surname 'Xiao' (肖) with the pronunciation 'Xiào'.
2022
Over one million Xiao (萧) clan members in Fujian (福建), Guangxi (广西), and Guangdong (广东) provinces have successfully restored their surname to Xiao (萧).
Some entries have not been translated into English yet and are omitted.