SHANGHAI: China’s three most popular surnames are shared by more than 20 per cent of mainland Chinese and amount to more than the population of the United States, according to statistics published recently.

Wang, Li and Zhang each represent more than seven per cent of the country’s 1.3 billion people, a combined total of 22.4 per cent or 291 million Chinese.

Those who find the figures hard to grasp should imagine standing at the jostling exit of Shanghai’s main railway station. An inquiring shout of “Wang, where are you?” will be answered, on average, by every 13th passenger.

Professor Yuan Yida, of Beijing’s genetics institute at the Academy of Sciences, says that 19 surnames — including the big three — make up more than half of China’s population; 100 surnames account for 87 per cent.

With such a narrow range of surnames, given names become a vital means of identification. The age of many people can be guessed from the well-known names given to them by their parents.

A Wang Kangmei will have been born during the Korean war: “Kangmei” means “resisting the Americans”.

Li Quanhong will have been born in the cultural revolution: “Quanhong” means “all Red” — the only possible colour from 1966 to 1976.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.