Yau is a surname. It is a romanisation of multiple surnames in Cantonese speaking regions (including Hong Kong) based on different varieties of Chinese, as well as a surname in other cultures.
In the Hausa language and Northern Nigeria, Niger and Ghana culture, the name "Yau" or its variant forms "Ya'u" and Arma Ya'u is a common male name and surname and it is a derivative of the Arabic name Zakariya the father of John the Baptist (Yahya), often used as a shortened form. It's a popular name among the Hausa people and other communities in Northern Nigeria, often used as a first name for boys. The name is pronounced as "YAH-oo".
Among respondents to the 2000 United States census, Yau was the 394th-most common surname among Asian Pacific Americans, and 10,881th-most common overall, with 2,686 bearers (93.9% of whom identified as Asian/Pacific Islander).
Cantonese romanisation of ä¸Â
- Shing-Tung Yau (; born 1949), Chinese-born American mathematician
- Stephen Shing-Toung Yau (; born 1952), Hong Kong-born American mathematician, brother of Shing-Tung Yau
- Algernon Yau (; born 1959), Hong Kong businessperson and politician
- Alan Yau (; born 1962), Hong Kong-born British restaurateur
- Yau Kin Wai (; born 1973), Hong Kong football defender
Cantonese romanisation of é±
- Yau Leung (; 1941âÂÂ1997), Hong Kong street photographer
- Yau Lop Poon (; born 1950), Hong Kong journalist
- Edward Yau (; born 1960), Hong Kong government official
- Herman Yau (; born 1961), Hong Kong film director
- Chingmy Yau (; born 1968), Hong Kong actress
- Benny Yau (; born 1980), Hong Kong-born Canadian television presenter
- Yung Yau (), Hong Kong housing studies professor
- Stanley Yau (), member of Hong Kong boy band Mirror
- Tiger Yau (), member of Hong Kong boy band Mirror
Cantonese romanisation of å°¤
- Yau Lit (; 1864âÂÂ1936), Chinese revolutionary
- Carrie Yau (; born 1955), Hong Kong government official
Cantonese romanisation of 游
Mandarin romanisation of å§Â
Yau is the spelling in Gwoyeu Romatzyh (a less common-system of transcribing Mandarin Chinese) of the surname spelled YÃÂ o in the more widespread pinyin system.
- Horng-Tzer Yau (; born 1959), Taiwanese-born American mathematician
- John Yau (born 1950), American poet of Chinese descent
Hausa and other African
People with a Hausa surname Yau or Ya'u or Arma Ya'u:
- Sahabi Alhaji Yaú (born 1956), Nigerian politician
- Yau Usman Idris born in Kauru, Local Government Area of Kaduna State., Nigerian Nuclear Scientist
- Ya'u Umar GwajoGwajo, Nigerian politician
- Hon. Justice Ya'u Ibrahim Dakwang, Nigerian politician
- Arma YaâÂÂu Hamisu Bichi, Nigerian academician and scientist
- Abdulsalam Ya'u Gitai, Nigerian academician and scientist
- Yau Usman Dachia, Nigerian politician
- Zakari YaâÂÂu Galadima Zakariyau Galadima, Nigerian politician
- Garba YaâÂÂu, Nigerian politician
- Justice Aisha YaâÂÂu, Public servant and lawyer
- Sule YaâÂÂu, Nigerian academician and scientist
- Ya'u Shu'aibu Haruna, Nigerian academician and scientist
Other
People with a non-Chinese surname Yau, or whose names as written in Chinese characters are not available:
References