Chinese surnames originated in the matrilineal clan system of primitive societies, and there are eight surnames that are the most noble, known as the "Eight Great Surnames of Antiquity", which are:Ji, Jiang, Yao, Ying, Ji, Fei, Fei, Yao.
These surnames have evolved over a long period of hereditary and evolutionary history, and most of the surnames in China today are derived from them.
There are actually more than 5,600 surnames in "Hundred Family Names", many of which are ** in the "Eight Ancient Surnames".
A surname is a family symbol that represents a person's origin and heritage.
The "Eight Ancient Surnames" is the origin of Chinese surnames and an important part of Chinese history and culture. These surnames are not only traditional Chinese surnames, but also important symbols of Chinese culture.
So what are the surnames derived from these eight ancient surnames?
Ji's, is the surname of the Yellow Emperor and the national surname of the Zhou Dynasty. King Wen of Zhou's grandfather, Tan Gong, was the 17th grandson of the Yellow Emperor, and he was the leader of the Zhou clan. Ji Fa, the son of King Wen of Zhou, is King Wu of Zhou, he led the princes to overthrow the ** Shang King and establish the Zhou Dynasty.
The princes of the Zhou Dynasty were divided, such asWu, Zheng, Lu, Yan, Wei, Jin, Wei, Han, Qinetc., have become common surnames now.
There are 411 hundred family surnames derived from the Ji family, and these 411 have been derived from more forms. Ji is one of the most influential surnames in China, and its descendants have made outstanding contributions to politics, culture, military, science and technology.
Jiang,It is the surname of Emperor Yan and the national surname of Qi State. Emperor Yan was the leader of the tribe surnamed Jiang, and he and the Yellow Emperor competed for hegemony in the Central Plains, and finally reconciled to jointly defend against foreign enemies.
A descendant of Emperor Yan, there was a man named Jiang Ziya, who was a counselor to King Wen of Zhou and helped King Wu of Zhou destroy Shang and establish the Zhou Dynasty. King Wu of Zhou sealed Jiang Ziya in Qi and became the ancestor of Qi. During the Warring States Period, the Tian family replaced Qi, and the descendants of the surname Jiang were scattered, some used the name of Qi as a surname, and some continued the surname Jiang, deriving 102 branches of the surname Jiang. Such as:Lu, Xie, Xu, Gongand other single surnames, and moreDongguo, Chunyuand so on.
The surname Jiang is not only found in China, but also in Southeast Asian countries such as North Korea, South Korea and the Philippines.
Hi Shi,It is the surname of Emperor Yu and the national surname of the Xia Dynasty. Di Yu is the founder of the Xia Dynasty, he has meritorious service in water control, and he has been allowed by Yao Shun Chan to become the leader of the Huaxia clan. His descendants, with the surname Hi, established the Xia Dynasty, which was the first recorded dynasty in the history of our country.
The first side branch surname that evolved from the surname Ji is Xia with the name of the country, and then there isZeng, Liao, Xiang, BaoWait a minute. Now if you want to find someone with the surname Hi, you can get Yuling Village in Shaoxing, and only the people who have guarded the tomb of Emperor Yu for generations still adhere to this surname.
Ying's, is a descendant of Gaotao, and is also the surname of Qin and Zhao. Gaotao was a tribal leader of the Huaxia tribe, he was an important minister of the Shang Dynasty and an ancestor of the Zhou Dynasty. Some of his descendants were sealed in Qin, and some were sealed in Zhao, so the surnames of Qin and Zhao were both Ying.
The surnames derived from the surname Ying are:Qin, Zhao, Ma, Jiang, Xu, Lian, GeWait a minute. The most famous of these is Qin Shi Huang, who was the first emperor in the history of our country who unified the six kingdoms and established the Qin Dynasty.
Concubines, is the descendant of the fire god Zhurong, and is also the surname of several small countries during the Zhou Dynasty. Zhu Rong is one of the gods of the five elements, he is in charge of the flames, and his descendants, who were sealed in Luo by Zhou Tianzi and established the kingdom of Luo. During the Zhou Dynasty, there were few concubine surnames, and only a few lesser-known small countries were owned. For example, in the country of Yan, the country of Yi, and the country of Yang, the surname of the concubine is their national surname.
But its later derivation of surnames is common in modern times, such asDong, Peng, Cao, YanWait a minute. There are also some rare, and nowadays-rarely used surnames, such as:芈, 斟, bald, selfWait a minute.
Concubine, is the surname of Emperor Shun, and it is also the surname of Youyu State. Di Shun is one of the three emperors and five emperors, he is the leader of the Yu clan, he governs the country in a way, and is allowed by Yao Chan to become the leader of the Huaxia clan. His descendants, surnamed after the place of Fushui, established the kingdom of Yu.
In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the surname was mainly distributed in the Chen State, the Qi State, and the Sui State, so it was derivedChen, Tian, Qi, Wang, Xueand other modern big surnames. In modern times, almost no one retains the surname of the concubine, and only uses the surname derived from it.
Yao's, is another surname of Di Shun, or the surname of his wife. Emperor Shun had a wife named 癸, and because the matrilineal society was gradually replaced by the patrilineal society at that time, people began to use their father's surname, and the female character gradually disappeared. These surnames have also begun to have more changes and combinations, forming a distinction between single surnames and compound surnames.
A single surname is a surname with only one character, such as:Li, Wang, ZhangWait. A compound surname is a surname with two or more characters, such as:Ouyang, Sima, ShangguanWait. Some of the compound surnames are evolved from single surnames, some are composed of fiefdoms, official positions, titles, etc., and some are influenced by ethnicity, region, language, etc.
These surnames eventually constituted the current hundred family names, which are all over the country and even Southeast Asian countries, forming a huge family of the Chinese people. These surnames not only record the history and culture of the Chinese people, but also reflect the diversity and tolerance of the Chinese people. These surnames are not only our identity and honor, but also our responsibility and mission.