Bao Family History

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 包 meaning ‘to wrap’ or ‘package’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the personal name Bao Xu (包胥) style name of a noble official in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) said to be borne by descendants of the Fu Xi family from a period prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (iii) adopted in place of another surname 鮑 pronounced the same by its bearers in Taishan (in present-day Shangdong province) who migrated and changed their surname to 包 during the reign of Wang Mang (45 BC–23 AD) in order to avoid persecution. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 鮑 meaning ‘abalone’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Bao (鮑) the name of a fief (located in Bingcheng in Shandong province) which was granted to Jingshu known as Bao Jingshu originally a prince of the state of Qi (杞) who went to the state of Qi (齊) and became a noble official there during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Si Li Fa (俟力伐) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 保 meaning ‘to protect’ or ‘to guarantee’: (i) from the post name Bao Zhang (保章) the title of an official in charge of astrology during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) said to be borne by descendants of certain nobles from the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 暴 which means ‘(violently) sudden': from Bao (暴) the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province) annexed by the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 寶 meaning ‘treasure’ in Chinese: (i) of Han Chinese origin but unexplained. (ii) borne by members of other ethnic groups in northern China such as Mongolians and the Hui people. Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 包 (see 1 above).7: Vietnamese (Bảo): from the Chinese surname 鮑 (see 2 above).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022