This article is about the origins of the surname Shaw and its usage as both an English and a Chinese surname. For other uses, see Shaw.

Shaw is primarily a surname of English or Chinese origin, rarely used as a given name. In English, it derives from Old English roots meaning "woodland" or "thicket". In Chinese contexts, Shaw is a romanization of the surname 邵 (Shao), or 萧 (Xiao) among overseas Chinese communities especially in the United States.

British surname

The name is of English and Scottish origin. In some cases, the surname is an Americanization of a similar-sounding Ashkenazic Jewish surname.[1] In England and Scotland, the name is a topographic name for someone who lived by a copse or thicket.[1] This name is derived from the Middle English schage, shage, schawe, and shawe, from the Old English sceaga meaning "dweller by the wood".[1][2] The name can also be a habitational name derived from places named after these words. The English surname was established in Ireland during the 17th century.

People with the English given name "Shaw"

People with the English surname "Shaw"

A–E

F–O

P–Z

Fictional characters

Chinese surnames

Main articles: Shao and Xiao (surname)

Shaw is a romanization of Chinese surname "邵" with various latinized spellings, including Shaw, Siaw, Siew, Shao, Shiu, Siu and Sho. The origin of the Shaw ("邵") surname traces back to the Zhou dynasty in ancient China. It is believed to have originated from the royal lines, specifically from the Duke of Shao (召公), a loyal subject of the King.

A notable example of the Chinese surname "Shaw" in modern history is the Shaw Brothers Studio (邵氏片場), established by the Shaw family. Founded in 1925 by Runje, Runme and Runde Shaw, and later joined by Run Run Shaw, the studio became one of Hong Kong's largest film production companies. It played a key role in popularizing the kung fu genre, producing iconic films like Come Drink with Me (1966), The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978).

Shaw is also a romanization of the Chinese surname "萧" (traditional Chinese: "蕭").[3] This usage is mostly seen among overseas Chinese communities, predominantly in the United States.[4] The connection between "Shaw" and "萧" is influenced by phonetic resemblance and is exemplified in the transliteration of notable figures such as Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, rendered in Chinese as "萧伯纳", and English actor Robert Shaw. This reflects established conventions for translation between foreign and Chinese names, as outlined in resources like the English Name Translation Manual (英语姓名译名手册), ensuring that translated names resonate with native speakers and maintain phonetic consistency with the original pronunciation.

Historically, individuals bearing the surname "Shaw" (萧) who emigrated from China over the past 400 years predominantly originated from the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. These migrations have contributed to the surname's presence in various overseas Chinese communities.[5]

People with the Chinese surname "Shaw"

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Shaw Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 8 February 2012. Citing: Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
  2. ^ Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.). London: Routledge. p. 2811. ISBN 0-203-99355-1.
  3. ^ "如何把自己的姓翻譯成英文？99%的人不知道！" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  4. ^ "My China Roots". www.mychinaroots.com. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  5. ^ "My China Roots". www.mychinaroots.com. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaw_(name)
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