Gao () is an

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

n surname of Chinese origin that can be literally translated as "high" or "tall". There are approximately 17 million living people with this surname. Some places, such as

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, usually romanise this family name into "Kao". In

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, it is romanized to "Ko". In

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

, it is romanized to "Kou". In English, it is romanized to "Kauh". In 2019 it was the 19th most common surname in Mainland China. The

Korean surname This is a list of Korean surnames, in Hangul alphabetical order. The most common Korean surname (particularly in South Korea) is Kim (Korean name), Kim (), followed by Lee (Korean name), Lee () and Park (Korean surname), Park (). These three sur ...

, " Ko" or "Koh", is derived from and written with the same Chinese character (高).

Romanisation and pronunciation

Origin

According to ''

Lüshi Chunqiu The ''Lüshi Chunqiu'' (), also known in English as ''Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals'', is an encyclopedic Chinese classic text compiled around 239BC under the patronage of late pre-imperial Qin Chancellor Lü Buwei. In the evaluati ...

'', the earliest figure with the Gao surname was Gao Yuan (高元) who created dwellings in antiquity.

Zhuanxu Zhuanxu (), also known as Gaoyang (), was a mythological emperor of ancient China. In the traditional account recorded by Sima Qian, Zhuanxu was a grandson of the Yellow Emperor. Association with Four Barbarians At the age of ten with Shao ...

, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor, was also known as Gao Yang (高陽). Another origin of Gao is the Jiang (姜) surname. According to the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

encyclopedia '' Tongzhi'', an early ancestor was Gao Xi (高傒) who was granted the surname Gao in honour of his grandfather Prince Gao (公子高). Prince Gao was the son of Duke Wen of the

state of Qi Qi, or Ch'i in Wade–Giles romanization, was a ancient Chinese state, regional state of the Zhou dynasty in History of China#Ancient China, ancient China, whose rulers held Zhou dynasty nobility, titles of ''Hou'' (), then ''Gong (title), Go ...

whose ancestral name was Jiang (姜). Many non-Han Chinese used the surname Gao: * The

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were an ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. The Xianbei were likely not of a single ethnicity, but rather a multiling ...

clan of Lou (楼) of the

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei ( zh, c=北魏, p=Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei ( zh, c=拓跋魏, p=Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei ( zh, c=元魏, p=Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei ( zh, t=後魏, p=Hòu Wèi), was an Dynasties of China, impe ...

period later changed their surname to Gao. The Yuan (元) family also adopted this surname in this period * Xú (徐) family of the

Northern Qi Qi, known as the Northern Qi (), Later Qi (後齊) or Gao Qi (高齊) in historiography, was a Dynasties in Chinese history, Chinese imperial dynasty and one of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties during the ...

period * Baipu (百濮) people of

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

(雲南) *According to ''

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...

'', the king of Goguryeo regarded himself as a descendant of Chinese heroes because he called his surname "Go" (

Hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

: 高) as he was the descendant of Gao Yang (

: 高陽) who was a grandchild of the

Yellow Emperor The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch, or Huangdi ( zh, t=黃帝, s=黄帝, first=t) in Chinese, is a mythical Chinese sovereign and culture hero included among the legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. He is revered as ...

and Gaoxin (

: 高辛) who was a great-grandchild of

. However, this is discredited as a mythology by Kim Busik, who mentioned that the surname Ko in Korea is from

Buyeo Buyeo (; ; ), also rendered as Puyŏ or Fuyu, was an ancient kingdom that was centered in northern Manchuria in modern-day northeast China. It had ties to the Yemaek people, who are considered to be the ancestors of modern Koreans. Buyeo is ...

origin.

Notable people

Historical

* Gao Yang Founding Emperor of

* Gao Yin Second emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Yan Third emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Zhan Fourth emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Wei Fifth emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Heng Sixth emperor of Northern Qi *

Gao Yun (Northern Yan) Gao Yun () (died 409), at one time Murong Yun (慕容雲), courtesy name Ziyu (子雨), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Huiyi of Later/Northern Yan (後/北燕惠懿帝), was either the last monarch of China's Later Yan dynasty ...

, Founding emperor of the Northern Yan dynasty * Gao Cheng paramount official of the Chinese/Xianbei state Eastern Wei * Gao Anagong official of the Northern Qi * Gao Huan paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei and Northern Wei's branch successor state Eastern Wei. * Gao Shaoyi imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi *

Gao Yanzong Gao Yanzong (高延宗) (died November 577), often known by his princely title of Prince of Ande (安德王), was an imperial prince of the History of China, Chinese Northern Qi dynasty, who briefly claimed the imperial title in 577 for three days ...

imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi *

Gao Shilian Gao Jian (576 – February 14, 647), courtesy name Shilian, better known as Gao Shilian, formally Duke Wenxian of Shen (), was a Chinese politician of the Tang dynasty. He was the uncle of Empress Zhangsun, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Taizon ...

, chancellor during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

Gao Shun Gao Shun () (died 7 February 199) was a military officer serving the warlord Lü Bu during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Although he only had 700 men under his command, his unit was nicknamed as the "camp crusher (or formation breaker ...

, Military General under Warlord

Lü Bu Lü Bu (; died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed a ...

during the late Han dynasty * Gao Jiong, official during the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...

* Gao Yun (Northern Wei), official during the Northern Wei dynasty * Gao Xianzhi, general during the

of Korean descent * Gao Pian, general and politician of the late

* Gao Qiong, general during the

Northern Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...

* Gao, guitarist

Modern

* Alice Longyu Gao, Chinese musician * Gao Chengyong (1964–2019), Chinese serial killer * Gao Dena, Donald Knuth, American computer scientist *

Gao Gang Gao Gang ( zh, s=高岗, w=Kao Kang; 1905 – August 1954) was a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader during the Chinese Civil War and the early years of the People's Republic of China (PRC) before he became the victim of the first major purge w ...

, a Chinese Communist leader * Gao Hanyu (also known as Kido, born 1989), Chinese actor and singer * Gao Hong, pipa player and composer * Gao Jianfu, founder of the Lingnan School * Gao Jianli, a Zhu player and friend of Jing Ke * Gao Jixing, a king of Jingnan * Gao Jun, Chinese-American table tennis player * Gao Lei (born 1992), Chinese Olympic individual trampoline gymnast * Gao Lin, Chinese professional footballer *

Gao Ling Gao Ling (; born 14 March 1979) is a Chinese former badminton player. Career Noted for her consistency, anticipation, forecourt prowess, and sporting smile, Gao is one of the most successful doubles players in the history of women's badminton ...

, Chinese badminton player * Gao Min (cyclist), Chinese cyclist * Gao Min (diver), Chinese diver * Gao Ning (born 1982), Chinese-born Singaporean table tennis player * Gao Qifeng, founder of the Lingnan School * Gao Qiu, character from Shui Hu Zhuan * Gao Shuying, Chinese pole vaulter * Gao Song, Chinese figure skater * Gao Weiguang (born 1983), Chinese actor and model * Gao Xie, calligraphist, painter, poet, writer, book collector * Gao Xingjian, 2000

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

* Gao Xiumin (actress) (1959–2005), Chinese comedy actress * Gao Xiumin (handballer) (born 1963), former female Chinese handball player * Gao Xu, poet, writer, publisher, revolutionary * Gao Yang (disambiguation), multiple people * Gao Yaojie (1927–2023), Chinese geneticist * Gao Yihan, intellectual * Gao Yisheng, creator of the Gao style of the Chinese Internal Martial Art of Baguazhang * Gao Youxin (1916-1948), ace-fighter pilot of the Chinese Air Force during the War of Resistance/World War II * Godfrey Gao (1984-2019), Taiwanese-Canadian model and television actor *

Gao Yuanyuan Gao Yuanyuan ( zh, s= 高圆圆, p=Gāo yuányuán, born 5 October 1979) is a Chinese actress and model. She gained attention in 2000 for appearing in a commercial for Qingzui (Clear Mouth) lozenges, earning her the nickname "Clear-Mouth Girl." She ...

(born 1979), Chinese actress and model * Gao Zhihang (1906-1937), ace-fighter pilot of the Chinese Air Force during the War of Resistance/World War II *

Gao Zhisheng Gao Zhisheng (born 20 April 1964) is a Chinese Human rights law, human rights attorney and dissident known for defending activists and religious minorities and documenting Human rights in the People's Republic of China, human rights abuses in ...

, activist * Gao Zhunyi (born 1995), Chinese footballer of Korean descent * Gao Jianing, also known as J.G. Ex-member of South Korean boy group, Cross Gene, a contestant of Produce Camp 2019 * Judy Gao (born 1994), New Zealand fashion designer and chess player * Curley Gao, also known as Xilinnayi Gao. Singer-songwriter, center of BonBon Girls 303, a debuted girl group of Produce Camp 2020 * Gao Qingchen, also known as Nine. Thai actor and singer of Chinese descent, member of the multi-national Chinese group INTO1, a debuted boy group of Produce Camp 2021

Kao

* Charles K. Kao (1933–2018), inventor of data transmission using optical fibre, was awarded half of the 2009

Nobel Prize in Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics () is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the ...

* Jack Kao, Taiwanese actor * Kao Ming-huey, International Commissioner of the Boy Scouts of China * Kao Yang-sheng, former Political Deputy Minister of Council of Indigenous Peoples of the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

* Min Kao * Ping-Tse Kao (1888–1970), Taiwanese astronomer * Henry Kao (1913-2005), former mayor of Taipei, minister and senior advisor to the president of the

(Taiwan). First Taiwanese to receive an honorary doctorate from Waseda University, Japan.

Kō

* Kō no Moronao * Kō no Moroyasu * Kō no Morofuyu

Koe

* Koe Yeet (高艺) –

Malaysian Chinese Malaysian Chinese, Chinese Malaysians, or Sino-Malaysians are Malaysians, Malaysian citizens of Chinese people, Chinese ethnicity. They form the second-largest ethnic group in Malaysia, after the Malaysian Malays, Malay majority, and , const ...

television and movie actress

Koh

* Koh Lip Lin (1935-2015), Singaporean politician

Cao

Joseph Cao Ánh Quang "Joseph" Cao ( ; ; born March 13, 1967) is a Vietnamese Americans, Vietnamese-American politician who was the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party (United ...

References

External links

胶州高姓来源及分布
{{Authority control Chinese-language surnames Individual Chinese surnames