Ma (surname)

Ma is a Chinese family name. The surname literally means "horse". As of 2006, it ranks as the 14th most common Chinese surname in mainland China and the most common surname within the Muslim minority community, specifically the Hui people, Dongxiang people and Salar people. In 2019 it was the 13th most common surname in mainland China. A 2013 study found it to be the 13th most common, shared by 17,200,000 people or 1.290% of the population, with the province with the most being Henan. It is the 52nd name on the Hundred Family Surnames poem.

The offspring of Zhao She adopted "Ma" (馬), the first word of the district Ma Fu, as their surname. Other romanizations include Mah, Beh and Mar. Almost all people surnamed Ma are his descendants.

Hui Muslims, Salars, Bonan and Dongxiang people commonly adopted Ma as the translation for their surname Mahmud / Muhammad. for e.g. Ma Jian, Ma Benzhai, Ma clique.

During the Ming dynasty, the Zhengde Emperor had a Uyghur concubine with the surname Ma.

Notable people

 * Ma Zhu or Tian Shang Sheng Mu, the Goddess of the Sea, helper of sailors, and protector of ethnic Chinese in the South and immigrants in Southeast Asia.
 * King Mu of Zhou, the fifth king of the Zhou dynasty.
 * Mazu Daoyi, an influential abbot of the Chan school during the Tang Dynasty.
 * Ma Yuan (Han dynasty), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Eastern Han dynasty.
 * Ma Zhou, was a Chinese politician who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang dynasty.
 * Ma He (Mahmud Shams), famous Chinese admiral and explorer.
 * Ma Huan, Chinese explorer, translator, and travel writer.
 * Ma Dong-seok known as Don Lee, American actor.
 * Ma Tianyu also known Ray Ma, a Chinese Mandopop singer and actor of Hui ethnicity.
 * Ma Wing-shing, a Hong Kong manhua artist, writer and publisher.
 * Ma Yansong, the principal architect and founder of MAD Architects, a global design practice with offices located in Los Angeles, Rome, and Beijing.
 * Ma Yashu, a Chinese actress.
 * Ma Yili, a Chinese actress.
 * Ma Li (actress), a Chinese actress.
 * Ma Xinrui, Chinese actress and model.
 * Ma Ke (actor), a Chinese actor.
 * Ma Prem Hasya, a French-American follower of Rajneesh who served as his personal secretary (or chief of staff)
 * Ma Anand Sheela, Indian-Swiss woman who was the spokesperson of the Rajneesh movement (also known as the Osho movement).
 * Ma Anliang (1855–1919), Qing dynasty and National Revolutionary Army (NRA) general
 * Mah Bow Tan (Ma Baoshan) (born 1948), Singaporean politician
 * Ma Chao (176–222), Shu Han general in the Three Kingdoms period
 * Ma Che Kong (born 1974), Hong Kong badminton player
 * Ma Ching-chiang (Ma Jingqiang), Republic of China Army general
 * Ma Dahan, Dongxiang anti-Qing dynasty rebel
 * Ma Dai, Shu Han general in the Three Kingdoms period
 * Yusuf Ma Dexin (1794–1874), Qing dynasty Islamic scholar
 * Edward Ma, member of the electronica band Glitch Mob
 * Henry C. Ma
 * Ma Hualong (died 1871), head of the Chinese Sufi order Jahriyya and one of the leaders of the Dungan revolt (1862–77)
 * Ma Huateng (born 1971), entrepreneur and founder of Tencent
 * Jack Ma (or Ma Yun, born 1964), internet entrepreneur and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group
 * James Ma (born 1993), Thai actor
 * Jeff Ma, former member of the MIT Blackjack Team
 * Ma Jianrong, Chinese executive in the textile industry. Chairman of Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited
 * Ma Jin (born 1988), badminton player
 * Ma Jun (fl. 220–265), Cao Wei mechanical engineer and official in the Three Kingdoms period
 * Ma Jun (born c. 1968), environmentalist, non-fiction writer and journalist
 * Ma Junren (born 1944), Chinese track and field coach
 * Ma Laichi (1681–1766), founder of the Chinese Sufi Khufiyya movement
 * Ma Lik (Ma Li) (1952–2007), former Hong Kong Legislative Councillor and chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB)
 * Ma Lin (table tennis), retired Chinese table tennis player and the current Chinese Women's Team Head Coach.
 * Ma Linyi (1864–1938), former Minister of Education in Gansu province under the Nationalist Government
 * Ma Liyan (born 1968), Chinese female long-distance runner
 * Ma Long (born 1988), table tennis player, ranked first as of March 2013 in the International Table Tennis Federation
 * Mary Ma (1952/53–2019), businesswoman
 * Ma Mingyu (born 1972), Chinese footballer and national team captain in the 2002 FIFA World Cup
 * Ma Mingxin (1719–1781), founder of the Chinese Sufi order Jahriyya
 * Ma Ning (referee), Chinese football referee.
 * Ma Qinghua (born 1987), racing driver
 * Ma Qingyun (born 1965), architect
 * Ma Qixi (1857–1914), founder of the Xidaotang
 * Ma Ruifang (born 1942), author, scholar and professor at Shandong University's School of Literature
 * Ma Sanli (1914–2003), comedian
 * Shang-keng Ma (1940–1983), Chinese theoretical physicist
 * Ma Shaowu (1874–1937), member of the Xinjiang clique in the ROC (1912–49) era
 * Ma Shenglin (died 1871), Qing dynasty rebel who participated in the Panthay Rebellion
 * Ma Sicong (1912–1987), violinist and composer
 * Ma Su (190–228), Shu Han general in the Three Kingdoms period
 * Ma Teng (died 211), Eastern Han dynasty warlord
 * Tzi Ma (Ma Zhi) (born 1962), Chinese American actor
 * Ma Wanfu (1849–1934), Dongxiang anti-Qing dynasty rebel and founder of the Yihewani movement
 * Ma Weiming (born 1960), Chinese naval engineer
 * Ma Xiaochun (born 1964), professional weiqi player
 * Ma Xiaonian (born 1945), physician and sexologist
 * Ma Xinyi (1821–1870), Qing dynasty official and general
 * Ma Yansong (born 1975), architect
 * Ma Ying-jeou (Ma Yingjiu) (born 1950), President of the Republic of China
 * Yo-Yo Ma (Ma Youyou) (born 1955), French American cellist
 * Ma Yuan (14 BC – 49 AD), Eastern Han dynasty general
 * Ma Yuan (c. 1160–65 – 1225), Song dynasty painter
 * Ma Yuanzhang, a member of the Chinese Sufi order Jahriyya
 * Ma Yutao (born 1936), Chinese opera singer and military general
 * Ma Zhanhai (died 1932), NRA general who participated in the Sino-Tibetan War
 * Ma Zhanshan (1885–1950), NRA general who fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War
 * Banharn Silpa-archa (Ma Dexiang) (1932–2016), Prime Minister of Thailand from 1995 to 1996 (archa in Thai means "horse")
 * Ma Chia-ling (b. December 21, 1996) – Taiwanese singer and member of AKB48.


 * Members of the Ma clique in the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China (1912–49) era
 * Ma Bufang (1903–1975)
 * Ma Bukang
 * Ma Buqing (1901–1977)
 * Ma Biao
 * Ma Chengxiang (1914–1991)
 * Ma Dunjing (1906–1972)
 * Ma Dunjing (1910–2003)
 * Ma Fulu (1854–1900)
 * Ma Fushou
 * Ma Fuxiang (1876–1932)
 * Ma Fuxing (1864–1924)
 * Ma Fuyuan
 * Ma Guoliang
 * Ma Haiyan (1837–1900)
 * Ma Hongbin (1884–1960)
 * Ma Hongkui (1892–1970)
 * Ma Hushan (1910–1954)
 * Ma Jiyuan (1921–2012)
 * Ma Lin (1873–1945)
 * Ma Qi (1869–1931)
 * Ma Qianling (1824－1909)
 * Ma Julong
 * Ma Sheng-kuei (Ma Shenggui)
 * Ma Shouzhen (1548-1604)
 * Ma Zhan'ao (1830–1886)
 * Ma Zhancang
 * Ma Zhongying (fl. 1930s)
 * Ma Xizhen

Westernized-style surname

 * Bertha Hosang Mah (1896 – 1959), Canadian student
 * Bowinn Ma, Canadian politician.
 * Fiona Ma (born 1966), American politician and member of the California State Assembly
 * Frederick Ma, Chinese businessman from Hong Kong
 * Geoffrey Ma (born 1956), judge from Hong Kong, China
 * Jack Ma or Ma Yun (born 1964), Chinese business magnate, philanthropist, internet and technology entrepreneur, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group
 * Jaeson Ma, American entrepreneur
 * James Ma (born 1993), Thai actor
 * Jie Ma, traditional Chinese musician
 * Kenneth Ma (born 1974), Chinese Canadian actor
 * Qingyun Ma (born 1965), Chinese architect
 * Sire Ma (born 1987), Chinese actress
 * Sora Ma (born 1984), Malaysian born Singaporean actress
 * Stanley Ma (born 1950): Canadian-Quebecois businessman of Chinese origin and founder and President of MTY Food Group
 * Steve Ma (born 1962), Chinese actor from Taiwan
 * Steven Ma (born 1971), Chinese actor and singer
 * Tzi Ma (born 1962), Chinese -American character actor
 * Wu Ma (1942–2014), Chinese actor, director, producer
 * Yo-Yo Ma (born 1955), American cellist
 * Victor Ma, a Chinese-American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor.