Genealogy News · Source Analysis · Published on 2026-10-07

Clues and Analysis of the Theory That the Lao, Ma, and Zhao Surnames Share a Common Origin

The theory that the Lao, Ma, and Zhao surnames share a common origin involves accounts of the branching of the Zhao lineage, the origins of the Ma surname, and descendants of the Nanyue royal family adopting a new surname. This article整理es the relevant clues and explains the need to cross-reference genealogies, historical records, and local gazetteers.

The claim that the Lao, Ma, and Zhao surnames “share a common origin” does not fundamentally mean that all people surnamed Lao, Ma, and Zhao today descend from the same branch. Rather, it refers to the possibility that certain surname lineages may share clues pointing to common ancestors in legends or genealogical accounts. To discuss this issue, one must first distinguish among the “origins of a surname,” the “founder of a particular branch’s migration,” and the “historical connections between different surnames.” These three matters should not be conflated.

As for the Ma surname, traditional surname records often link some Ma lineages to Zhao She, a general of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. Zhao She was enfeoffed as Lord of Mafu, and it is said that some of his descendants adopted “Mafu” or “Ma” as their surname. In terms of surname evolution, the Ma lineages that emerged in this way are connected with the Zhao lineage. However, the Ma surname has more than one origin; in later periods, different branches also arose from official titles, place names, changes in ethnic affiliation, and other causes. Therefore, it cannot be concluded solely from a shared surname or similar legends that all people surnamed Ma are descendants of Zhao She.

The connection between the Lao surname and the Zhao lineage is often found in accounts of descendants of the Nanyue royal family adopting a new surname. According to one such account, Zhao Mo, grandson of Zhao Tuo, King of Nanyue, distinguished himself in military campaigns and political submission, and was later granted the surname “Zhao Lao” in reference to his “meritorious service”; his descendants subsequently shortened it to Lao. The legend also connects this branch’s flight from turmoil and subsequent migration with the coastal areas of Shandong, and treats the activities of figures after the Three Kingdoms period as a point at which the family re-integrated into society. However, these accounts involve dates, personal names and titles, migration routes, and the continuity of the genealogical line, all of which still require separate verification against official histories, epitaphs, genealogies, and local gazetteers.

From the perspective of ancestry research, if a Lao family wishes to determine whether it is connected with the Zhao lineage or the Nanyue royal family, it should first organize the available information in its genealogy, including the founding ancestor of the migrating branch, generational names, places of residence, ancestral hall records, and burial information, and then compare it with online genealogies, local gazetteers, and family memoirs. Particular attention should be paid to the dates when genealogies were compiled, their copying sources, and the process of subsequent revisions. Prefaces or oral memories recorded at a relatively late date cannot be directly equated with early historical facts.

“Common origin” is better treated as a research hypothesis than as an unverified conclusion. The Lao, Ma, and Zhao surnames may intersect in certain transmission narratives, but branches from different regions, ancestral halls, and generational names may not belong to the same lineage. The same cautious approach should be applied to surnames for which materials concerning bestowed surnames and related matters are still incomplete: first confirm the documentary basis, then trace the migration patterns, and finally reach a judgment based on continuous genealogical lines and local materials. Only when multiple types of evidence corroborate one another can family memory potentially be developed into a relatively reliable clue to clan history.

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