Ma is one of mainland China’s most common surnames and is interestingly even prevalent among Chinese Muslims. We look at its history.

The world's most populous nation has a long history of using surnames. But in an increasingly industrialized society, surnames are losing some of their functions. Yet their formation, development, and ...

What can surnames tell us about the culture, genetics and history of our society? That is the question being answered by Chinese researchers who have traced the evolution of surnames across China.The ...

Traditionally, the father's family name is the first choice for a Chinese kid's surname, although the use of the mother's name is not uncommon. But babies could soon have a surname combining the ...

It's been discovered that only 4,100 Chinese surnames are now in use out of a sample of the country's 300 million people, according to a survey by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It means more ...