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Ceramics gave birth to Tao surname
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TAO, which means ceramics in Chinese, was generally taken as surnames by families who were linked or worked in the industry. Probably due to tradition, quite a number of celebrities are known for their moral integrity and do not seek fame or wealth.
There is an estimated 2 million people surnamed Tao in China, ranking them 102nd in terms of population. The number of Taos accounts for about 0.16 percent of the Chinese population, majority of them living in Anhui, Jiangsu and Hubei provinces. The surname Tao has more than 4000 years of history.
Emperor Yao enjoyed making ceramics. Some of his offspring took Yao’s fancy for ceramics to surname themselves “Tao.”
Yu Si, a descendant of another legendary leader Emperor Shun, gained the position of “Tao Zheng,” the official who administered pottery-making industry in Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century – 771 BC). His offspring also took Tao as their surname.
Among the seven major prominent clans in Shang Dynasty, there is a clan surnamed Tao who worked in the ceramics industry.
There are other reasons for choosing Tao as surnames, notably to avoid using the same character as that of the emperor.
There are people surnamed Tao in Bai, Dai, Jing, Miao, Yi, Li, Blang, Mongolian and Hui ethnic groups.
The Taos mostly lived in Shandong and Henan provinces before Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), and gradually moved to the Yangtze River Region and northwest China. In Ming Dynasty, the Taos were mostly found in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Anhui, Hubei and Sichuan provinces. While today, about 13-15 percent of the population surnamed Tao are in Anhui Province.
There are quite a Taos who excelled in literature and art. Tao Qian, more widely known as Tao Yuanming, was a famous poet in Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420). He chose to live in seclusion to ensure his integrity and dignity. Tao Hongjing, “chancellor in the mountains” in Southern Dynasty (AD 420-589), refused official positions but offered advises when the imperial court needed. He also earned fame as a painter and calligrapher.
Tao Kan, the great grandfather of Tao Qian, was an official in Eastern Jin Dynasty.
His couplet about the importance of cherishing time is still hung on the walls of some Tao families in China.
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