Ke (surname)


Ke is a Chinese surname. It originally appeared on the Hundred Family Surnames As of 2006 was no longer one of the top 100 most common surnames. A 2013 study found that it was the 145th most common surname, shared by 1.06 million people or 0.080% of the population, with the province most being Hubei. Also spelled as Quah, Qua, Kua, Kuah, Kwa, Ke, Ker, Ko, Kok, Or or O in English.
It is O in Cantonese.

Origin

There are several origins of this last name:
  1. the descendants of Duke Ke Lu of the State of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period;
  2. the descendants of a tribe in Northern Wei Dynasty whose surname was originally Keba but was simplified to Ke;
  3. the descendants of the Qiang tribe or the Xianbei tribe with the last name Ke.
One website lists it as originating from the town of Han in Zhejiang Province while another states it originated in Jiyang Prefecture during the Jin Dynasty.

Prominent people with the family name 柯

Cua Yi Lam, baptized as Domingo Lamco, patrilineal ancestor of Jose Rizal, Philippine national hero