Gao () is an

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

n surname of Chinese origin that can be literally translated as "high" or "tall". There are approximately 16 million living people with this surname. Some places, such as

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

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

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

, it is romanized to "Ko". In

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

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

Romanisation and pronunciation

Origin

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

Zhuanxu Zhuanxu (Chinese: trad. , simp. , pinyin ''Zhuānxū''), also known as Gaoyang ( t , s , p ''Gāoyáng''), was a mythological emperor of ancient China. In the traditional account recorded by Sima Qian, Zhu ...

, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor, was also known as Gao Yang (高陽). Another origin of Gao is the

Jiang Jiang may refer to: * ''Jiang'' (rank), rank held by general officers in the military of China *Jiang (surname), several Chinese surnames **Jiang Zemin (1926–2022), as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party *Jiang River, an ancient riv ...

(姜) surname. According to the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

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

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...

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 period * Baipu (百濮) people of

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

(雲南) *According to ''

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...

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

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

: 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 by his Chinese name Huangdi (), is a deity ('' shen'') in Chinese religion, one of the legendary Chinese sovereigns and culture heroes included among the mytho-historical Three Soverei ...

and

Gaoxin Kù (, variant graph ), usually referred to as Dì Kù (), also known as Gaoxin or Gāoxīn Shì () or Qūn (), was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. He went by the name Gaoxin until receiving imperial authority, when he took the name Ku and th ...

(

: 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 origin.

Notable people

Historical

* Gao Yang Founding Emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Yin Second emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Yan Third emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Zhan Fourth emperor of Northern Qi *

Gao Wei Gao Wei (高緯) (29 May 556 – November 577According to volume 10 of ''History of the Northern Dynasties'', Gao Wei was killed in the 10th month of the 6th year of the ''Jiande'' era of Yuwen Yong's reign. This corresponds to 28 Oct to 25 Nov ...

Fifth emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Heng Sixth emperor of Northern Qi * Gao Yun (Northern Yan), Founding emperor of the Northern Yan Dynasty *

Gao Cheng Gao Cheng (; 521–549), courtesy name Zihui (子惠), formally Prince Wenxiang of Bohai (勃海文襄王), later further posthumously honored by Northern Qi as Emperor Wenxiang (文襄皇帝) with the temple name Shizong (世宗), was the paramou ...

paramount official of the Chinese/Xianbei state Eastern Wei *

Gao Anagong Gao Anagong (高阿那肱) (died November 18, 580Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 174.) was a Xianbei official of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. He was a close associate of the emperor Gao Wei, and lat ...

official of the Northern Qi *

Gao Huan Gao Huan () (496 – 13 February 547), Xianbei name Heliuhun (賀六渾), formally Prince Xianwu of Qi (齊獻武王), later further formally honored by Northern Qi initially as Emperor Xianwu (獻武皇帝), then as Emperor Shenwu (神武皇帝 ...

paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei and Northern Wei's branch successor state Eastern Wei. *

Gao Shaoyi Gao Shaoyi (), often known by his princely title Prince of Fanyang (), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Northern Qi dynasty. He claimed the Northern Qi throne in exile under the protection of Tujue after the rival Northern Zhou dynasty seiz ...

imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi *

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

imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi * Gao Shilian, chancellor during the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

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 betray ...

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

Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...

Gao Yun (Northern Wei) Gao Yun (; 390–487), courtesy name Bogong (伯恭), formally Duke Wen of Xianyang (咸陽文公), was an official during the reigns of five emperors of the Xianbei-led Northern Wei dynasty of China. During Emperor Taiwu and Tuoba Yu's regency G ...

, official during the Northern Wei Dynasty * Gao Xianzhi, general during the

of Korean descent *

Gao Qiong Gao Qiong (高琼, 935 - December 26, 1006), born in Bozhou Mengcheng (now Anhui Mengcheng County). Northern Song Dynasty general. Zhong-Wu military governor. Gao conducted many military exploits. Experience Gao Qiong's ancestry was living in Ya ...

, general during the

Northern Song Dynasty Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

* Gao, guitarist

Modern

Alice Longyu Gao Alice Longyu Gao is a Chinese singer, songwriter, DJ, and performance artist currently based in New York City and Los Angeles. Their music has been noted for its "bold hyperpop" production. Their music has been featured on BBC Radio as "Tune of T ...

, Chinese musician *

Gao Chengyong Gao Chengyong (; 10 November 1964 – 3 January 2019) was a Chinese serial killer and rapist. He mutilated the corpses of his victims, leading to his nickname of the "Chinese Jack the Ripper" in Chinese media. He is thought to have killed ele ...

(1964–2019), Chinese serial killer * Gao Dena, Donald Knuth, American computer scientist * Gao Gang, a Chinese Communist leader *

Gao Hanyu Gao Hanyu (; born 6 February 1989), also known as Kido, is a Chinese actor and singer. Career In 2007, Gao participated in Dragon TV's singing competition ''Wo Xing Wo Xiu'' and emerged top ten in the finals. In 2008, he participated in Zhejia ...

(also known as Kido, born 1989), Chinese actor and singer *

Gao Hong Gao Hong (born 1964 in Luoyang, Henan) is a composer and performer of the Chinese pipa (pear-shaped lute). Gao has lived in the United States since 1994. She performs traditional and modern Chinese music, with her groups Spirit of Nature and ...

, pipa player and composer * 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 Gao Lei (born 3 January 1992) is a Chinese individual trampoline gymnast, Olympian, and four-time world champion. He won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Gao won the gold medal at the 2015 Trampoline World Championships in the indivi ...

(born 1992), Chinese Olympic individual trampoline gymnast *

Gao Lin Gao Lin (; born 14 February 1986) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Chinese Super League club Shenzhen. He is the all-time top goalscorer for Guangzhou Evergrande – his previous club – with 113 goals, and has ...

, 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) Gao Min, (born 26 January 1982 in Hebei) is a Chinese road racing cyclist. She finished 16th in the Women's road race at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Palmarès ;2002 :3rd National Road Race Champions Tournament ;2003 :2nd National Road Race Cham ...

, Chinese cyclist *

Gao Min (diver) Gao Min (; born September 28, 1970, in Zigong, Sichuan) is a female Chinese diver who won gold medals in the springboard event of the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. Diving career Gao learned how to swim at the age of four. At nine, she started g ...

, Chinese diver *

Gao Qiu Gao Qiu (1076?–1126) was a government official who lived during the Song dynasty of China and served in the court of Emperor Huizong. In the classical novel ''Water Margin'', he is fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists and a nemesis ...

, character from Shui Hu Zhuan *

Gao Shuying Gao Shuying (, born October 28, 1979, in Qingdao, Shandong) is a Chinese pole vaulter. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she was eliminated in the first round of the pole vault competition. Her personal best is 4.64 metres, achieved in 2007 in New Y ...

, 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 Gao Xingjian (高行健 in Chinese - born January 4, 1940) is a Chinese émigré and later French naturalized novelist, playwright, critic, painter, photographer, film director, and translator who in 2000 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature " ...

, 2000

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

Gao Xiumin (actress) Gao Xiumin (; 28 January 1959 – 18 August 2005) was a Chinese comedy actress. She was a regular at the CCTV New Year's Galas, and was famous in partnership with Zhao Benshan and Fan Wei. She played Ding Xiang in Chinese TV Series Chinese tel ...

(1959–2005), Chinese comedy actress *

Gao Xiumin (handballer) Gao Xiumin (; born August 21, 1963) is a former female Chinese handball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an internat ...

(born 1963), former female Chinese handball player *

Gao Xu Gao Xu (; 1877－1925), was a Chinese poet, writer, revolutionary, political activist. Gao is one of the three founders of the South Society which was the largest organization of literature and poetry during the late Qing dynasty China and the ...

, poet, writer, publisher, revolutionary *

Gao Yang (shot putter) Gao Yang (born 1 March 1993) is a Chinese athlete specialising in the shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men h ...

(born 1993), Chinese shot putter *

Gao Yihan Gao Yihan (高一涵, P: ''Gāo Yīhán'', W: ''Kao I-han'', 1884–1968) was a Chinese intellectual and political scientist. In addition to holding both educational and governmental positions, he contributed often to the publications '' The Tiger' ...

, 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 *

Gao Yuanyuan Gao Yuanyuan (, born 5 October 1979) is a Chinese actress and model. She ranked 64th on ''Forbes'' China Celebrity 100 list in 2013, 40th in 2014, 76th in 2015, and 86th in 2017. Career Gao Yuanyuan was born in Beijing and graduated from China In ...

(born 1979), Chinese actress and model *

Gao Zhihang Gao Zhihang (; 14 May 1907 – 21 November 1937) was a flying ace of the Republic of China (1912-49), Republic of China in the Second Sino-Japanese War. On August 14, 1937, the 4th Air Force Group commanded by Gao shot down six Japanese planes o ...

(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 attorney and dissident known for defending activists and religious minorities and documenting human rights abuses in China. Because of his work, Zhisheng has been disbarred and deta ...

, activist *

Gao Zhunyi Gao Zhunyi (; ; born 21 August 1995) is a Chinese professional footballer who currently plays for Chinese Super League club Wuhan Three Towns. Club career Gao Zhunyi started his football career when he joined Shanghai Luckystar in 2009. On 31 ...

(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 Produce Camp 2019 (), or alternatively known as CHUANG 2019, is a Chinese male group reality television show premiered on Tencent Video on April 6, 2019 as the second season of '' Produce 101 China''. Final members debuted as R1SE. The series i ...

Judy Gao Judy Gao (born 1994) is a New Zealand fashion designer, reality tv star and chess player. Biography Gao is a competitive chess player and is ranked fifth among New Zealand women. She represented New Zealand in the Chess Olympiads in 2008, 2012 ...

(born 1994), New Zealand fashion designer and chess player *

Curley G Xilinnayi Gao (; Uyghur: شىرىن اي گائو ''Shirinay Gaw''; born July 31, 1998), professionally known by her stage name Curley G or Curley Gao, is a Chinese singer-songwriter. She first gained attention in 2017 on the Chinese singing co ...

ao, also known as Xilinnayi Gao. Singer-songwriter, center of

BonBon Girls 303 BonBon Girls 303 (Chinese: 硬糖少女303 Pinyin: Yìng táng shàonǚ Sān líng sān ) was a Chinese girl group, formed through the 2020 reality show ''Produce Camp 2020'' (Chuang 2020) on Tencent Video. The group consists of seven members: C ...

, a debuted girl group of

Produce Camp 2020 Produce Camp 2020 (Chinese: 创造营2020; pinyin: ''Chuàngzàoyíng 2020''), officially known as CHUANG 2020, is a Chinese girl group reality competition show, which premiered on Tencent Video on May 2, 2020 as the third season of ''Produce 101 ...

Kao

Charles K. Kao Sir Charles Kao Kuen Charles K. Kao was elected in 1990
as a memb ...

(1933–2018), inventor of data transmission using optical fibre, was awarded half of the 2009

Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...

Jack Kao Jack Kao (, born 23 April 1958) is a Taiwanese actor. Career He began his career in the late 1980s films of Hou Hsiao-hsien. Kao credits his success to the many real-life gangsters he knew when he was young. He appeared in '' City of Sadness'' ...

, Taiwanese actor *

Kao Ming-huey Dr. Ming-Huey Kao () served as the International Commissioner of the Boy Scouts of China. In 1987, Kao was awarded the 188th ''Bronze Wolf'', the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Sc ...

, International Commissioner of the

Boy Scouts of China The Scouts of China or the General Association of the Scouts of China in full, is the national Scouting association of the Republic of China and represents the Scouting organization in Taiwan. It is a member of the World Organization of the S ...

Kao Yang-sheng Kao Yang-sheng (; born 11 July 1952) is a Taiwanese politician. Early life Kao obtained his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Fu Jen Catholic University. Political career Kao sat in the Legislative Yuan from 1996 to 2002, representing the ...

, 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, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

Min Kao Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (Amt ...

Nicholas Kao Se Tseien Nicholas Kao Se Tseien O.C.S.O. (; 15 January 1897 – 11 December 2007), was a Chinese Trappist priest living in Hong Kong who had been the oldest living Catholic priest and also the oldest person ever to have had a cataract operation accord ...

(1897–2007), Catholic priest, supercentenarian * Ping-Tse Kao (1888–1970), Taiwanese astronomer

Kō

* Kō no Moronao *

Kō no Moroyasu Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten was one of the leading generals of Shōgun Ashikaga Takauji during the Nanboku-chō period, along with his brother Moronao and his cousin Morofuyu. Life In 1335 he was sent west from Kamakura, the capital, at the head ...

Kō no Morofuyu Kou may refer to *Kou, Burkina Faso, a village in Burkina Faso * Kou, Laiwu (口镇), town in Laicheng District, Laiwu, Shandong, China *Kou language * Kou (name) includes lists of people with the given name and surname *Kou (surname) (寇), Chin ...

Cao

* Joseph Cao

References

External links

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