Below is a list of the top 100 most common surnames in the Teochew region:
| Rank | Surname | Common romanisation (peng’im) | Approximate no. |
| No.1 | 陳/陈 | Tan (dang5) | 1.52 million |
| No.2 | 林 | Lim (lim5) | 1.05million |
| No.3 | 黃 | Ng (ng5) | 900,000 |
| No.4 | 吳/吴 | Goh, Gouw (ghou5) | 600,000 |
| No.5 | 鄭/郑 | Tay, Teh (dên7)* | 560,000 |
| No.6 | 李 | Lee (li2) | 540,000 |
| No.7 | 張/张 | Teo (diên1)* | 510,000 |
| No.8 | 王 | Heng (hêng5) | 430,000 |
| No.9 | 蔡 | Chua (tshua3) | 420,000 |
| No.10 | 劉/刘 | Lau, Liew, Low (lau5) | 370,000 |
| No.11 | 楊/杨 | Yeo, Yeoh(iên5)* | 360,000 |
| No.12 | 許/许 | Koh (kou2) | 310,000 |
| No.13 | 謝/谢 | Chia, Seah (zia7) | 260,000 |
| No.14 | 莊/庄 | Chng (tsang1) | 230,000 |
| No.15 | 方 | Png (bng1) | 190,000 |
| No.16 | 郭 | Kueh, Koay, Quay, Kwek, Quek,Kwok (guêh4) | 190,000 |
| No.17 | 周 | Chew (ziu1) | 160,000 |
| No.18 | 曾 | Chan (zang1) | 150,000 |
| No.19 | 洪 | Ang (ang5) | 140,000 |
| No.20 | 余 | Ee, Eu (e5) | 140,000 |
| No.21 | 邱 | Khoo (ku1) | 130,000 |
| No.22 | 馬/马 | Bey, Beh, Baey (bhê2) | 130,000 |
| No.23 | 朱 | Choo (zu1) | 130,000 |
| No.24 | 賴/赖 | (nai6) | 120,000 |
| No.25 | 蕭/萧 | Seow, Siau, Siow (sieu1) | 110,000 |
| No.26 | 詹 | (ziem1) | 110,000 |
| No.27 | 廖 | Leow, Liau, Liow (lieu7) | 110,000 |
| No.28 | 姚 | Yeo (iê5) | 110,000 |
| No.29 | 江 | Kang (gang1) | 100,000 |
| No.30 | 羅/罗 | Lo, Lor, Law (lo5) | 100,000 |
| No.31 | 蘇/苏 | Soh (sou1) | 100,000 |
| No.32 | 盧/卢 | Loh (lou5) | 100,000 |
| No.33 | 鐘/钟 | (zêng1) | 90,000 |
| No.34 | 葉/叶 | Yap (hieb8) | 90,000 |
| No.35 | 溫/温 | (ung1) | 90,000 |
| No.36 | 徐 | Chee, Cher, Cheu (ce5) | 90,000 |
| No.37 | 沈 | Sim (sim2) | 80,000 |
| No.38 | 胡 | Oh, Aw (ou5) | 80,000 |
| No.39 | 翁 | (en1) | 75,000 |
| No.40 | 潘 | Puah(puan1)* | 75,000 |
| No.41 | 彭 | Peh, Phe(pên5)* | 74,000 |
| No.42 | 孫/孙 | Sng, Soon(sng1) | 70,000 |
| No.43 | 何 | Ho (ho5) | 68,000 |
| No.44 | 杜 | Toh (dou6) | 63,000 |
| No.45 | 趙/赵 | Teo, Teoh (diên6)* | 63,000 |
| No.46 | 魏 | Gwee, Gui (ghui7) | 60,000 |
| No.47 | 鄧/邓 | Teng (dêng6) | 55,000 |
| No.48 | 高 | Ko, Kor (go1) | 54,000 |
| No.49 | 紀/纪 | Kee (gi7) | 52,000 |
| No.50 | 柯 | (gua1) | 50,000 |
| No.51 | 呂/吕 | Lee, Leu, Ler (le6) | 45,000 |
| No.52 | 連/连 | Hia/Heah/Hir (hian5) | 40,000 |
| No.53 | 唐 | Tang, Tng (deng5) | 37,000 |
| No.54 | 佘 | Seah, Siah (sia5) | 36,000 |
| No.55 | 倪 | (ghoi7) | 36,000 |
| No.56 | 韋/韦 | Wee (ui2) | 36,000 |
| No.57 | 丁 | Teng (dêng1) | 36,000 |
| No.58 | 袁 | (uêng5) | 35,000 |
| No.59 | 文 | Boon (bhung5) | 33,000 |
| No.60 | 陸/陆 | Lek, Loke (lêg8) | 33,000 |
| No.61 | 侯 | Hau (hou5) | 32,000 |
| No.62 | 歐/欧 | Ow, Au (au1) | 32,000 |
| No.63 | 顏/颜 | Hia/Heah/Hir (hian5) | 30,000 |
| No.64 | 章 | (ziên1) | 29,000 |
| No.65 | 鄒/邹 | Chou, Choh (zou1) | 28,000 |
| No.66 | 藍/蓝 | Lam (lam5) | 27,000 |
| No.67 | 梁 | Neo (niên5) | 26,000 |
| No.68 | 馮/冯 | Pang (bang5) | 25,000 |
| No.69 | 邢 | Hia/Heah/Hir (hian5) | 24,000 |
| No.70 | 辜 | (gu1) | 23,000 |
| No.71 | 麥/麦 | (bhêh8) | 23,000 |
| No.72 | 官 | (guan1)* | 23,000 |
| No.73 | 韓/韩 | Han (hang5) | 23,000 |
| No.74 | 戴 | Tai, Dai (dai3) | 22,000 |
| No.75 | 範/范 | (huam6) | 20,000 |
| No.76 | 湯 | Tng, Teung (thng1) | 20,000 |
| No.77 | 池 | (di5) | 20,000 |
| No.78 | 卓 | Toh (doh4) | 19,000 |
| No.79 | 傅 | Poh (bou3) | 19,000 |
| No.80 | 金 | Kim (gim1) | 18,000 |
| No.81 | 房 | (bang5) | 18,000 |
| No.82 | 夏 | Hah, Hay (hê7) | 18,000 |
| No.83 | 田 | Chan, Chang(cang5) | 18,000 |
| No.84 | 秦 | Ching, Chin (cing5) | 18,000 |
| No.85 | 巫 | Boo (bhu5) | 17,000 |
| No.86 | 嚴/严 | Ngiam, Giam (ngiam5) | 16,000 |
| No.87 | 宋 | Song (song3) | 16,000 |
| No.88 | 遊 | (iu5) | 16,000 |
| No.89 | 薛 | (sih4) | 16,000 |
| No.90 | 史 | Ser, Seu, Sze (se2) | 14,000 |
| No.91 | 施 | (si1) | 13,000 |
| No.92 | 石 | Chioh, Cheoh (ziêh8) | 13,000 |
| No.93 | 程 | Thia (tian5) | 12,000 |
| No.94 | 曹 | Chow (cau5) | 12,000 |
| No.95 | 柳 | (liu2) | 11,000 |
| No.96 | 貝/贝 | (buê6) | 11,000 |
| No.97 | 辛 | (sing1) | 11,000 |
| No.98 | 汪 | (uang1) | 10,000 |
| No.99 | 董 | Tong (dang2) | 10,000 |
| No.100 | 古 | (gou2) | 10,000 |
*peng-im symbol "n" indicates nasal sound.
Update on 5 Feb 2016: Our reader Alec Hir has kindly informed us that 顏/颜 (ngang5) and 連/连 Lian (liêng5) as surnames should be pronounced as Hia (hian5).
Update on 27 Mar 2016: The correct pronunciation for the following surnames have been updated: 曾 (zang1, instead zêng5); 唐 (deng5 instead of tang5); 章 (ziên1, instead of ziang1); 翁 (eng1 instead of en1); and 方 (bung1 instead of bng1).
Do let us know if you know of other forms of romanisation for any of the above surnames that should be added.
"Like" our Facebook page to stay updated with The Teochew Store.
Yewguang says...
I named my Son 王子杰。 could you advice and spell in Teochew? Many thanks and appreciated .
July 13, 2019
Cindy says...
Hi how about 乙？ how do you spell in Teochew?
January 08, 2019
Lee Kheng Nguan says...
As surnames, 史 should be pronounced as Sai2 (使), 藍 is pronounced as Nan5 (nasalized) , 戴 is Do3 。方 is pronounced in both way: Bung1 and Bng1, varying from counties to counties. 倪 is actually Ghoi5, not Ghoi7。
April 21, 2016