History of surnames
China is the first country in the world to use surnames. About 5,000 years ago, in Fuxi era, "surname" was defined as hereditary and passed down by father. Today, we are talking about surnames in the order of strokes and taking surnames as a unified concept. But in ancient times, there was a strict difference between surnames and surnames. "Surname" represents the lineage of the clan, which originated from matriarchal society and is called clan surname. It is a corresponding identification mark invented to distinguish blood relationship and prevent blood marriage. "Scholar" is the symbol of ancient nobility and the title of clan system. From the mid-summer, "Shi" became a branch of "surname", indicating meritorious service and status. At that time, a large group of tribes split into several small groups. For the need of identification in mutual communication, these small groups have obtained a new symbol-surname, which is related to the region while obtaining a new place of residence.
It has always been believed that China people have a surname first and then a surname. In fact, surnames and surnames have been mixed together, and the relationship between surnames is changing. There are hundreds of "teachers" in legends and documents, the earliest of which are Pangu, Tianhuang, Ren Huang and Wulong, followed by Ju Ling, Huang Shen, Guikui, Kongsang and Cimin, followed by Chen Fang, Shushan, Chaos and Youchao, and so on. In this era, the most important ones are the Chao family and the Suiren family. Some Chaojiao people built wooden nests and dug camps; Suiren invented drilling wood for fire, teaching people to cook food and tying ropes to take notes.
In the Fuxi era, tribes or countries such as * * * Gong, Bai, Zhu, Hao, Li Lv, Shi, Kun Wu, Ge, Yin Kang, Zhong Huang and Nuwa appeared in the Central Plains. China's earliest surname was born in Fuxi era, and "Feng" was the first surname in China. One of the most important surnames in this period was Zhong Huangshi, whose leader was Cang Xie, who created words instead of knots.
After Nuwa, Shennong, that is, followed by Jiang. Huangdi's surname is Gongsun and his name is Xuanyuan. The tribe to which the Yellow Emperor belongs is called Xiongshi. Huangdi inherited the status of Emperor Yan and ruled the Central Plains. The Yellow Emperor has 25 sons. His surname is 14 and his surname is 12: Ji, You, Qi, Ji, Teng, Zhen, Ren, Xun, Nuo, Xian and Yi. These 12 surnames actually belong to the Xiong clan, and other sons can't have surnames because they don't have the strength to establish their own clan. According to research, the oldest surname in China is basically after Yanhuang. The two emperors Yan and Huang are the common ancestors of our Chinese nation. No matter you, me or him, we are all born from the same root.
In the pre-Qin period, women called their surnames and men called their surnames. After Qin Shihuang unified China, surnames began to merge into one. Because the form is fixed, future generations can use it permanently, which is convenient to form a family that is passed down from one line to another, and the clue of lineage origin is clearer. People in China attach great importance to surnames and form the custom of living together with surnames. In many areas, the custom of compiling genealogy and associating clans is circulating, and countless people with the same surname have formed all over the country. Later generations can easily find out the source of blood by discussing their family history.
Surnames come from many sources, such as bear, tiger, dragon and so on. Take country names as surnames: Qi, Chu, Han, Zhao, Qin, etc. Take the place of residence as the surname: Simon, Guo, Qiu, Yin and Chang; Official surnames: Shangguan, Bu, Qian, Shi and Sima. Taking occupation as surname: Zhang, Gu, Tu, Zhen, craftsman, etc. Taking the names of mountains and rivers as surnames: Joe, Ji, Jiang, Huang, Wu, etc. The emperor gave surnames: Liu, Li, Zhao, Zhu, etc. Others take numbers, seasons, directions, climate, flowers and trees as surnames.
China people are used to inheriting their fathers' surnames and passing them on to the next generation in a paternal way. Therefore, most surnames belong to a kind of gene, which is transmitted in a paternal way, regardless of gender, which is equivalent to a special genetic gene located on the male chromosome representing human beings.
Surnames distinguish people of one clan from people of another clan. Within a clan, in order to distinguish each other, the sign of "name" only belongs to individuals appears. In social communication, no matter which group of people, they can be distinguished from each other by their names. If they associate with people of another clan, their names alone are not enough to show their identity. Only by combining your family name with your first name can you clearly show yourself and distinguish yourself from others. With the development of society, names have been endowed with many new connotations, forming a unique surname culture in China.
In China, everyone generally has a surname. When people meet for the first time, they always ask each other, "What's your name?" This shows the importance of surnames in our lives. The names of ancient people in China, like modern people, are symbols used by people to represent individuals in social activities.
How many surnames does China have? So far, there is no accurate statistical data. Commonly known as "Hundred Surnames", there were more than 3,000 surnames in Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644). The formation of surnames has different historical processes, and the same surname is not necessarily an origin. Such as "He", some were originally called "Helan" or "He Dun" and simplified to "He"; Some were originally named "Qing", but they were renamed "He" to avoid the emperor's taboo. Surnames will also change due to political, geographical, racial and other reasons. Therefore, for thousands of years, the origin of China's surname is varied, and opinions vary, but it can be summarized as follows:
First, in matrilineal clan society, the mother is the surname. Legend has it that in ancient times, Shennong's mother's name was female Deng, so many surnames were beside female characters at that time, such as Gu, Ji, Jiang, Gui, Si and so on.
2. Take the place of birth and residence as the surname. Legend has it that in ancient times, Yu Shun came out of the ruins of Yao and took Yao as his surname. During the Spring and Autumn Period, doctors in Qi Huangong lived in East China, South China, West China and North China respectively. He takes Dong Guo and Nan Guo as surnames. Dr. Zheng lives in Ximen, so he takes Ximen as his surname.
Third, take the ancient name as the surname. During the Yu, Xia and Shang Dynasties, there was a kingdom of Wang Mang, whose descendants were surnamed Wang. In Shang Dynasty, there was a country called Ruan, and its descendants were called Ruan.
Fourth, take the fief as the surname. Zhao Fu was named Zhao Cheng by Zhou Wuwang, and his descendants were surnamed Zhao; King Zhao of Zhou's illegitimate son was sealed in Weng's land, so his surname was Weng; His son is surnamed Hou, and his descendants are surnamed Xing.
5. Take the official position as the surname. There were five meanings in ancient times, namely, Situ, Sima, Sikong, Shi Si and Sikou, and their descendants all took these official positions as their surnames.
Sixth, the son of heaven gives the surname, taking the number as the surname. For example, Zhou Muwang died of a favorite concubine, and in order to express his grief, he gave his descendants the name of pain; King Hui of Zhou pursued Hui after his death, and his descendants were surnamed Hui.
Seven, take the words of the ancestors as the surname. For example, his son is strict and his word is especially, and his grandson's surname is especially; Lu's son Zi Zi was named Zang, and his descendants were named Zang.
Eight, because of myths and legends as surnames. Legend has it that there was a Yan Na, who was descended from the dragon in the sky, and his descendants took the dragon as their surname. Legend has it that there is a bluebird among the immortals, and later generations also have a bluebird.
Change one's surname because of taboo or for some reason. For example, during the Warring States Period, the descendants of King Xiang of Qi were originally named Tian, and Qi was destroyed by Qin. Their descendants dare not call Tian, but change their names. Emperor Han Ming taboo the word "Zhuang", all surnamed Zhuang changed their surname to "Yan". Judy, the prince of Yan in the Ming Dynasty, attacked Nanking in the name of Huang Zicheng, overthrew Wen Jian and became the emperor (that is, the founder of the Ming Dynasty). At that time, it was named Jingnan, and the eunuch Ma was given the surname Zheng for his meritorious service in Jingnan. Later, he changed his name to Zheng He.
X. With the development of history and the complexity of nationalities, some surnames are transliterated in national languages. For example, the descendants of Shan Yu, the leader of Xiongnu, have many surnames of Shan Yu. It can be seen that the surname is a symbol, not as mysterious and sacred as the defenders of the feudal patriarchal clan system advertised.
Eleven, take the surname as the surname. Surnames were produced as symbols of clans and tribes during the clan commune period, and some descendants directly inherited them as surnames. In matriarchal clan society, the mother is the surname, so many surnames were beside the female word at that time. Such as: Ji, Jiang, Yan, Yao and so on.
12. Take the country name as the surname. As we are familiar with the vassal States in 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 and Xu, these have become common surnames today.
Thirteen, named after the city. A city is a fief, which is allocated by the emperor and the prince to ministers of the same surname or the opposite sex. Some of their descendants or people living in these fiefs will continue to use their names. For example, the scooter was divided into a fief in the Soviet Union (now west of Linzhang County, Hebei Province), and its descendants were surnamed Su. According to statistics, there are nearly 200 surnames with Yi as their surname. Due to the long history, some compound surnames no longer exist.
14. Take the name of the township or pavilion as the surname. Today's common surnames are Pei, Lu, Yan, Hao and Ouyang.
15. Take the place of residence as the surname. Among these surnames, there are many compound surnames, generally with the words Qiu, Men, Xiang, Lu, Li, Ye, Guan, etc., indicating the place of residence in different environments.
Sixteen, with the words or names of ancestors as the surname. There are many surnames in this article. According to statistics, there are five or six hundred surnames, including nearly 200 compound surnames. For example, Zhou Pingwang's illegitimate child, Lin Kai, was handed down from the Woods. In Song Dynasty, the son of Daigong filled the stone, and Sun took his grandfather's name as his surname. In the Han Dynasty, my father changed to Huangfu.
Seventeen and two are surnames. A family takes the surname in the order of brothers. For example, the eldest brother is called Bo or Meng, the second brother is called Zhong, the third brother is called Uncle, and the fourth brother is called Ji. Descendants follow their surnames, indicating the order in the clan. However, there are exceptions: Father Zhuang and Brother Zhuang's Duke Lu Zhuang were originally the harmony of Zhong. Because he committed the crime of regicide, his descendants changed their names to Meng or.
Eighteen, take the official position as the surname. Such as Stuart, Sima, Sikong, Shi Si and Scott. Some surnames that take official positions as surnames can also be distinguished from their meanings, such as Ji, Jane, Cang, Jun and Chu.
Nineteen, take technology as the surname. Such as witches, fortune tellers, potters, craftsmen, butchers, etc.
20. The surnames brought by the integration of ancient ethnic minorities into the Han nationality.
2 1. Take posthumous title as the surname.
Twenty-two, because of the given surname, taboo and change the surname.