音読み: セイ・ショウ
訓読み: none*
画数: 8
部首: おんなへん（女）
Meaning
Surname / Family Name.
- 姓 — surname; family name
- 姓名 — full name
- 同姓 — same surname
- 旧姓 — former surname; maiden name
- 百姓 — peasant; farmer (historical/common)
姓 pairs the woman radical 女 with the sound/meaning element for “birth” (生 → セイ). It points to family lineage and the inherited family name. In modern use it simply means “surname,” as in 姓名 “full name.”
Link 姓 with 名 (name): think “姓 + 名 = full name.” This quick pairing makes it easy to recall that 姓 is the family name part.
Forms
百姓 — peasant; farmer (historic/common word)