The Chinese word 伍子胥 is a personal name formed by combining the surname 伍 with the given name 子胥. The surname 伍 is the family name, while the given name 子胥 consists of two characters: 子, often used as an honorific or name particle in ancient names, and 胥, which serves as the core name element. Together, these characters create the full name of the historical figure Wu Zixu.