Lu (surname 魯)
Lǔ is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written in simplified character and in traditional character. It is also spelled Lo according to the Cantonese pronunciation. Lu 鲁 is listed 49th in the Song Dynasty classic text "Hundred Family Surnames". As of 2008, Lu 鲁 is the 115th most common surname in China. Origin. According to several ancient genealogy texts including the Tang Dynasty "Yuanhe Xing Zuan", "Xing Pu" (姓谱), and "Xingshi Kaolue" (姓氏考略), the surname Lu 鲁 originated from the ancient State of Lu, which was founded by Bo Qin, son of the Duke of  Zhou, in the 11th century BC. During the Warring States period, Lu was conquered by the State of Chu, one of the seven major powers at the time, in 256 BC. Many people of Lu subsequently adopted the name of their former state as their surname. It is considered a branch of Ji 姬, the royal surname of the state of Lu.