KUO

Kuo is a romanization used for several East Asian surnames, most commonly the Chinese surname 郭. In Mandarin pinyin the usual spelling is Guo; Kuo reflects older romanizations such as Wade-Giles and is common in Taiwan and among communities that preserve non-Mandarin spellings.

The character 郭 means "outer city wall" or "enclosure" and is a hereditary surname with origins in ancient China; it is one of the widely distributed surnames among Chinese people and the Chinese diaspora. In Mainland China, Guo is among the more common surnames in frequency; in Taiwan, the Kuo spelling is particularly prevalent.

Variants and transliterations: Kuo corresponds to various Chinese surnames depending on language. For 郭, variants include Guo (Mandarin pinyin), Kwok (Cantonese), and Kuo (Hokkien/Taiwanese). Other surnames may also be romanized as Kuo in different language communities.

In contemporary usage, people bearing the surname Kuo have been prominent in politics, science, arts and business across Greater China and the overseas Chinese communities.

See also: Guo (surname); Kwok; Kwo.