[Interpretation]

The original meaning of Liu is a type of weapon. In bronze inscriptions, the character depicts a warrior holding two blades in a gesture of dissection or carving.

[Origin]

The earliest lineage of the Liu surname traces back to the descendants of Yao (of the Qi clan), the leader of the ancient Tao Tang tribe:

• The Legend of Liu Lei: Among Yao's descendants, a child was born with palm lines that resembled the characters "Liu Lei" (劉累), and he was named accordingly.

• The Dragon Tamer: During the Xia Dynasty, Liu Lei served the 13th emperor, Kong Jia, by taming and raising four dragons (two males and two females). For this achievement, the Emperor bestowed upon him the clan name Yulong (meaning "Dragon Tamer").

• The Flight to Safety: Eventually, due to poor breeding conditions, one of the female dragons died. Fearing the Emperor’s punishment, Liu Lei fled with his family from their home (present-day Yanshi, Henan) and went into hiding in Lushan County, Henan.

• The First Liu: His descendants adopted "Liu"—taken from his original name—as their surname, marking the earliest recorded origin of the Liu family name in China.