Volume 24 of Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi" "Female Department": "The surname is also the person's birth, from female, birth, birth is also the sound." Volume 9 of Ban Gu's "White Tiger Tongde Lun" Said: "The surname is born, and the person is born because of the weather." "Zuo Zhuan·Yin Gong 8th Year" "The emperor built virtue and gave the surname because of his birth." This all shows that the original meaning of "surname" is "生". Therefore, it is generally believed that the surname was originally a racial title that represented the same blood, ancestry, and blood relationship, referred to as a clan name. As a clan name, it is not the title of an individual person or an individual family, but the title of the entire clan tribe. According to literature, our ancestors originally used surnames for the purpose of "differentiating marriages," "Ming lineage," and "differentiating races." It was produced around the time of the clan commune in primitive society. People speculate that the origin of the surname is related to the totem worship of the ancestors. In the primitive Mengmei era, each tribe and clan had its own totem worship objects. For example, ears of wheat, bears, snakes, etc. were all the totems of our ancestors, and this kind of totem worship objects became the symbol of the tribe. Later, it became the code name for all members of the tribe, that is, "surname". Since the number of ancient clans and tribes is limited and countable after all, there are very few pure surnames left from ancient times. According to legend, Huangdi Xuanyuan, the ancestor of mankind, had 25 sons, 14 of whom had outstanding merits. Huangdi gave them 12 surnames, which have been followed from generation to generation and are still in use today. The "ancient surnames" sorted out by later generations according to "Spring and Autumn" include: Gui (now Guishui in Zhuolu, Hebei), Si, Zi, Ji, (surname of the Zhou royal family), Feng, Ying (surname of Qin), Ji, Ren, There are 22 surnames, including Ji, Qian, Cao, Qi, Juan, Jiang, Dong, Yan, Gui, Man, Mi (Chu surname), Wei (original surname of northern ethnic minorities), Qi (Hou), and Yun. Nearly half of these surnames have a female character next to them. Therefore, people speculate that the surname may have originated in a matrilineal clan society. Mr. Zhang Taiyan and other scholars compiled dozens of ancient surnames (about 59, Zhang Taiyan got 52, and others from bronze inscriptions) from older documents such as "Shuowen", "Shan Hai Jing", oracle bone inscriptions, and bronze inscriptions. Lei and 7 others), including the original ones, there are only about 80. It is conceivable that these are only part of the surnames that actually existed in ancient times, and the original surnames must be more than these. The others have been lost. But one thing is for sure, the surnames at that time were by no means as numerous as the "surnames" we talk about today. The history of surnames: my country is the first country in the world to use surnames. During the Fuxi period about 5,000 years ago, the "surname" was designated as hereditary and passed on from the father. What we call surnames today is different from the common "ordered by the strokes of the surname", which treats surnames as a unified concept. However, in ancient times, there was a strict distinction between "surname" and "family name". "Surname" represents the lineage of the clan, which originated from matrilineal society. It is called clan surname. It is a corresponding identification mark invented to distinguish blood relatives and prevent blood marriage. "Shi" is the symbol of ancient nobility and the title of the clan system. From the middle of the Xia Dynasty, "Shi" became a branch of "surname", indicating merit and status. At that time, the large tribal group split into several small groups. Out of the need for identification in mutual interactions, these small groups not only obtained new places of residence, but also acquired a new symbol related to the region - surname. It has always been thought that Chinese people have "surname" first and then "surname". In fact, surnames and surnames have been used mixedly, and the relationship between surnames and surnames is also changing. There are hundreds of "shis" appearing in legends and documents. The earliest ones are the Pangu clan, the Tianhuang clan, the Dihuang clan, the Renhuang clan, and the Wulong clan, followed by the Juling clan, Huangshen clan, Guikai clan, The Xunfei era of 22 clans including Kongsang and Cimin was followed by the Yinti era of 13 clans including Chenfang, Shushan, Huanchao, Youchao, Suiren and Yongcheng. In this era, the most important ones were the Chao clan and the Suiren clan. There was the Chao family who taught the people to build wooden nests and dig the ground for camps; the Suiren family invented the method of drilling wood to make fire, taught people to cook cooked food, and taught people to knot ropes to record events. Entering the Fuxi era, during this period, there appeared in the Central Plains the Gong family, the Baihuang family, the Zhu Xiang family, the Haoying family, the Li Lu family, the Hexu family, the Kunwu family, the Getian family, the Yinkang family, and the Zhongyuan family. Huangshi, Nuwa and other tribes or countries. The earliest "surname" in China came into being in the Fuxi era. "Feng" was the first surname in China. One of the most important "surnames" in this period was the Zhonghuang family, whose leader was Cangjie. He created writing and replaced knotting. Take notes. After the Nuwa family, there was the Shennong family, that is, Emperor Yan, and then the Jiang family. The Yellow Emperor's surname was Gongsun and his given name was Xuanyuan. The name of the tribe where the Yellow Emperor belonged was Xiong. The Yellow Emperor succeeded the Yan Emperor and ruled the Central Plains. The Yellow Emperor had 25 sons, with 14 surnames and 12 surnames: Ji, You, Qi, Ji, Teng, Zhen, Ren, Xun, Xi, Xi, Xuan, and Yi. These 12 surnames are actually branch clans of the Xiong family. The other sons cannot have surnames because they do not have the strength to establish their own clans. According to research, the oldest surnames in China are basically from after the Yan and Huang emperors. The two emperors, Yan and Huang, are the most common ancestors of our Chinese nation. No matter you or me, we have the same surname and we all have the same roots. In the pre-Qin period, women were called surnames and men were called surnames. After Qin Shihuang unified China, surnames began to be unified into one. Since the form was fixed, descendants could use it permanently, making it easier to form a family that was passed down through the generations, and the clues to the origin of the lineage became clearer. Chinese people attach great importance to their surnames and have developed the custom of living in clusters with the same surname. In many areas, the habit of compiling genealogies and linking clans has been spread, forming countless people with the same surname across the country, so that future generations can easily use this to discuss their own family history. Find where the blood comes from.

There are many sources of surnames, including surnames based on totems: bear, tiger, leopard, tiger, dragon, etc.; surnames based on country names: Qi, Chu, Han, Zhao, Qin, etc.; surnames based on place of residence: Ximen , Guo, Qiu, Yin, Chang; those with official positions as their surnames: Shangguan, Bu, Qian, Shi, Sima, etc.; those with occupations as their surnames: Zhang, Gu, Tu, Zhen, Jiang, etc.; those with the names of mountains and rivers as their surnames: Qiao, Ji, Jiang, Huang, Wu, etc.; those given surnames by the emperor: Liu, Li, Zhao, Wanyan, Zhu, etc.; there are also surnames based on numbers, seasons, directions, climate, flowers and trees, etc. Chinese people are accustomed to inheriting their father's surname and passing it on to the next generation in a patrilineal manner. Therefore, the vast majority of surnames are gender-neutral genes that are passed on in a patrilineal manner, which is equivalent to special inheritance on the chromosomes representing human males. Gene. Surnames distinguish people of one clan from people of another clan. Within a clan, in order to distinguish each other, a "name" that is only a personal symbol appears. In social interactions, no matter which group of people only use their "name" to distinguish each other within themselves, but if they interact with people from another clan, just saying "name" is not enough to show their identity. Only when you combine your "surname" with your "first name" can you clearly identify yourself and distinguish yourself from others. With the development of society, names have been given many new connotations, forming China's unique surname culture. In China, generally everyone has a surname. When people first interact, they always ask each other: "What's your surname?" This shows the importance of surnames in our lives. The names of ancient Chinese people, like modern ones, are symbols used by people to represent individuals in social interactions. There is still no accurate statistics on how many surnames there are in our country. Commonly known as "Hundred Family Surnames", there were actually more than 3,000 surnames in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The formation of surnames has different historical processes, and the same surname may not necessarily have the same origin. For example, "He", some had the original surname "Helan" or "He Dun", which was simplified to "He"; some had the original surname "Qing", but changed their surname to "He" to avoid the emperor's taboo. Surnames also change due to various reasons such as politics, geography, and ethnicity. Therefore, the origin of our country's surnames has changed a lot over thousands of years, and there are different opinions, but they can be summarized in the following aspects: 1. In a matrilineal clan society, the mother is the surname. Legend has it that in ancient times, Shennong’s mother was named Nüdeng, so many surnames at that time had the character next to the female character, such as: Gu, Ji, Jiang, Gui, Si, etc. 2. Take the place of birth and residence as the surname. Legend has it that in ancient times, Yu and Shun came from Yao Xu and took Yao as their surname. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the officials of the Qi State's duke family lived in Dongguo, Nanguo, Xiguo, and Beiguo respectively; they took Dongguo, Nanguo, etc. as their surnames. Doctor Zheng lived in Ximen, so he took Ximen as his surname. 3. The surname is based on the name of the ancient country. The Yu, Xia, and Shang dynasties all had a kingdom of Wang Mang, and Wang Mang's descendants were surnamed Wang; the Shang Dynasty had a kingdom of Ruan between Jing and Wei, and their descendants were surnamed Ruan. 4. Taking the fiefdom as the surname. Zaofu was granted the title of Zhaocheng by King Wu of Zhou Dynasty, and his descendants were named Zhao; King Zhao's concubine was granted the title of Wengdi, so his surname was Weng; Gongdan's son was granted the title of Marquis of Xing in Xing Kingdom, and his descendants were named Xing. . 5. Taking official position as surname. In ancient times, there were five officials, namely: Situ, Sima, Sikong, Sushi, and Sikou. Their descendants all took these official surnames as their surnames. 6. The emperor bestowed the surname with the name. For example, when King Mu of Zhou died and a favored concubine died, he gave her descendants the surname Pain to express his grief. When King Hui of Zhou died, his descendants were named Hui. 7. Take the name of your ancestors as your surname. For example, the son of Zheng Guogong, Yan, was named Ziyou, and his grandson was named You; the son of Lu Xiaogong, Ziyang, was named Zizang, and his descendants were named Zang. 8. The surname is derived from myths and legends. Legend has it that there was a man named Nayan during the Shun Dynasty who was a descendant of a dragon in the sky, and his descendants took the surname dragon. Legend has it that there was a male named Qingniao among the gods, and his descendants also had the surname Qingniao. 9. Change of surname due to taboo or some reason. For example, during the Warring States Period, the descendants of King Fazhang of Tian Qixiang were originally named Tian. Qi was destroyed by Qin, and their descendants did not dare to have the surname Tian and changed their surname to Fa. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty tabooed the word "Zhuang", and everyone named Zhuang changed their surname to "Yan". In the Ming Dynasty, King Zhu Di of Yan raised troops to attack Nanjing in the name of crusade against Huang Zicheng and others, overthrew Emperor Jianwen and became emperor (that is, Chengzu of Ming Dynasty). He was named "Jingnan" at that time, and the eunuch Ma Sanbao was given the surname "Jingnan" because of his merits in "Jingnan". Zheng"; later he changed his name to Zheng He. 10. With the development of history, ethnic groups have become more complex, and some surnames are transliterations of ethnic languages. For example, many descendants of the Xiongnu leader Chanyu have the surname Chanyu. It can be seen that the surname is a symbol, not as mysterious and sacred as the defenders of the feudal patriarchal system promote. 11. Use the surname as the surname. The surname came into being as a symbol of the clan tribe during the clan commune period, and some of its descendants directly inherited it as a surname. In the matriarchal clan society, the mother's surname was used, so many surnames at that time had a female character next to them. Such as: Ji, Jiang, Si, Yao, etc. 12. Name your country as your surname. For example, we are familiar with the vassal states of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period: Qi, Lu, Jin, Song, Zheng, Wu, Yue, Qin, Chu, Wei, Han, Zhao, Wei, Yan, Chen, Cai, Cao, Hu, Xu, etc. , have become common surnames today. 13. Name the surname after the town. A fief refers to a fiefdom, which is a fiefdom assigned by the emperor and the kings of various vassal states to officials of the same surname or of the opposite sex. Some of their descendants or people living in these fiefs inherited their surnames. For example, during the reign of King Wu of Zhou Dynasty, Si Kou Cha was granted a fief in Su (today's west of Linzhang County, Hebei Province), and the descendants of Cha were named Su. According to statistics, there are nearly 200 surnames with Yi as their surname. Some compound surnames no longer exist due to long historical evolution. 14. Name the surname after the village or pavilion. Common surnames today include Pei, Lu, Yan, Hao, Ouyang, etc. 15. Use the place of residence as your surname.

Among these types of surnames, there are many compound surnames, usually with the characters Qiu, Men, Xiang, Lu, Li, Ye, Guan, etc., indicating the place of residence in different environments. 16. Named after ancestors. There are many surnames derived from this article. According to statistics, there are five to six hundred, including nearly 200 compound surnames. For example, the concubine of King Ping of Zhou was named Lin Kai, and his descendants were handed down as Lin Xing. The son of Duke Dai of the Song Dynasty, Gongzi Chongshi, was named Huangfu, and his grandson took his grandfather's surname as his surname. In the Han Dynasty, Huangfu was changed to Huangfu. 17. Take the order as your surname. Within a family, surnames are given in order of brothers. For example, the eldest brother is called Bo or Meng, the second brother is called Zhong, the third brother is called Shu, the fourth brother is called Ji, etc. Descendants are called surnames, indicating the order in the clan. But there are exceptions. Duke Zhuang of Lu's younger brother, Zhuangfu, was the second eldest son. He was originally the Zhong family and Zhongsun family. Because he was guilty of regicide, his descendants changed their surname to Meng or Mengsun. 18. Taking official position as surname. Such as Situ, Sima, Sikong, Sushi, Sikou, etc. Some surnames with official positions as their surnames can also be distinguished from the meaning of the words alone, such as Ji, Jian, Ku, Cang, Jun, Chu, etc. 19. Take skills as your profession. Such as witchcraft, divination, pottery, craftsman, butcher, etc. 20. The surnames brought about by the integration of ancient ethnic minorities into the Han nationality. 21. Take the posthumous name as your surname. 22. Change of surname due to given surname or taboo.