Tu
A short surname found in several cultures, often from a Chinese family name and sometimes from unrelated East or Southeast Asian sources.
The #3,835 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,450 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tu is a very short surname that can arise independently in more than one language. In Chinese, it is commonly represented by several different characters and may reflect an ancient clan name, a place name, or other old Chinese naming traditions rather than a single fixed meaning. Similar-looking surnames also occur in other East and Southeast Asian languages, but they are not necessarily related to the Chinese form.
History
The surname is best known in Chinese contexts, where it is relatively uncommon but established. Because it is so short, it can be transliterated in multiple ways from different scripts and may represent several unrelated family lines. In English-speaking countries, Tu is often found through immigration and diaspora communities.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Tu can reflect different original characters and naming traditions, two people with the same Latin-letter surname may not share the same ancestry at all.