姓
xìng · HSK 2
name
姓 = 女 (woman) + 生 (birth) — surname inherited from the mother in ancient matrilineal China
In oracle-bone times, clan names passed through the mother's line, so 姓 fuses 女 with 生. Modern 姓 means surname or family name; the 'name' gloss here points to that family-name sense.
姓 — woman radical 女 + life 生
姓 combines 女 (woman) with 生 (birth/life), reflecting ancient China's matrilineal clans where surnames passed through the mother's line. Many of the oldest Chinese surnames contain 女, such as 姜 and 姚. Today 姓 simply means 'family name' or 'surname'.