Strange Surnames (as in not too common)

[didar]

Here is a new one: 阚。 I have a friend with this 姓

[roddy]

馀, a variant of 余. Can I count that?

[Yang]

Here is the most awkward first name i ever know. 焦（jiao1). when somebody ask 您贵姓？ and you have to answer 我姓焦 （sounds exactly: I have sex).

It's really awkward.

[rob07]

那, the 姓 of one of the child winners of the Expo painting competition. I think now that I might have seen this once or twice before.

[skylee]

Yes there is a famous Chinese singer called 那英. IIRC it is a surname adopted by Manchurian people.

[skylee]

Take a look at this blog. I think the surname of the kid who drew the picture is quite unusual.

[tooironic]

I met a guy on the train the other day with a surname of 曲, a simple character but I had never seen it in a surname before. His 名字 was 帅 and boy he was.

[skylee]

There is a character in 笑傲江湖 called 曲洋.

[aristotle1990]

Here is the most awkward first name i ever know. 焦（jiao1). when somebody ask 您贵姓？ and you have to answer 我姓焦 （sounds exactly: I have sex).

His name wasn't 焦幢, was it? 您好，我姓焦，叫幢。。。

sounds like 性交 + 叫床

[Lu]

I think the surname of the kid who drew the picture is quite unusual.

That is unusual. Is that even a Han surname? Could well be from an ethnic minority.

[heifeng]

Time to rake up an older topic---an oldy but goody (Particularly if you don't want to be in the awkward position of not knowing how to read someone's name!)

I encountered this character in a name [/url] . It's not the person's last name in this particular article, BUT, it could be a last name (according to baidu and one of my dictionaries at least~~~oddly not all of them though...hmm)

Found it here: 搶購後悔 又跑去退貨

Excerpt:

]美西華人學會會長楊家淦說，美國一年四季都有折扣，未必非得等到黑色星期五這天出手。他提到，身邊許多親友衝著折扣在賣場搶購，最後發現用不著，又花時間跑回去退貨。

from http://www.zdic.net/:

基本字义

● 淦

gàn ㄍㄢˋ

　1. 水入船中。

　2. 河工称起伏很大的激浪。

　3. 姓。

[TiffanyChing]

My family name is also strange

景（jing2)

[imron]

It's been mentioned already, but today a friend was actually talking about someone they knew whose surname was 苟, and both myself and a number of other friends did a double take until they explained it was not that 狗 but this 苟.

[Scoobyqueen]

I know a lady called 阚 for a surname and as it turns out many Chinese people do not know how this is pronounced when they see it. Any other examples of rare names or surnames?

[roddy]

Now, we have a topic for that somewhere. Let me find and merge...

[heifeng]

A perfect example of why this Forum is so comfortable to write & hang out in = great organization! (& Admins of course)

However since this thread has now been 'bumped' & merged, can the actual pronunciations actually be included along with these surnames....too many key strokes & mouse clicks to have to keep doing it myself in addition to clicking on this thread... *sigh* (yes, I know, and I would like some peeled grapes too....)

[imron]

I would like some peeled grapes too

Here you go then.

[Lu]

Inputting contacts for my (now former) work I came across a lady surnamed Shentu 申屠. Asked a Chinese friend about it, she'd never heard of that surname either. I forgot the lady's given name, but that was very commonplace, which was a pity I thought. With a surname like that, you really should come up with some really cool (preferably one-character) given name for your kid.

[tooironic]

One of my friends, his surname is 左 ("left"). Not a rare surname, but an unusual one.

[skylee]

冷 was mentioned in #59. I have just come across someone with this surname. I think it is quite special.