Wu 3

Wu 3 is a Cantonese romanization of the Chinese surname Hu. In Mandarin, Hu is written as 胡, a character that originally referred to the barbarian tribes of northern China and later came to mean "beard" or "whiskers," as well as "recklessly" or "wildly." The Cantonese pronunciation of 胡 is "wu" (pronounced like "woo"), which is distinct from the Mandarin "hu." This variant spelling is common among Cantonese-speaking communities in southern China, Hong Kong, Macau, and overseas Chinese diaspora.

The surname Hu has a long history in China, with records dating back to the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE). It ranked as the 13th most common surname in the 2019 Chinese census. Notable historical figures bearing Hu include Hu Shih (1891–1962), a prominent Chinese philosopher and diplomat, and Hu Jintao (born 1942), former President of the People's Republic of China. The Cantonese romanization "Wu" is found in sources such as Forebears, which lists its frequency globally.

• Meaning: Derived from Chinese 胡, originally meaning "barbarian" or "beard."
• Origin: China, specifically from Cantonese pronunciation of Hu.
• Type: Surname.
• Usage: Cantonese-speaking regions.