Cai / Cai
Cai, pronounced cai, is a relatively rare Chinese surname. It is found among Han, Tibetan, Xibe, and other ethnic groups, with major concentrations in Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, and Heilongjiang, which together account for over 70% of the national Cai population.
The recorded origins of the Cai surname include descendants of Gaoyang Shunxu, the Ming-dynasty bestowed surname of Fang Kuan, descendants of the Later Zhou Chai clan who changed their surname to avoid danger, sinicization of the Mongolian Erdemutu clan, sinicized surname changes among other ethnic groups, and a surname change by a son of Fang Xiaoru using the final character of his father's name.
The Wanxing Tongpu records that the Cai clan descended from Gaoyang Zhuanxu, the grandson of the Yellow Emperor. Another account traces the surname to the Ji clan: a descendant of Zhuanxu was enfeoffed at Cai in the early Western Zhou and adopted the former state's name as a surname.
The Cai surname is associated with the Liaodong and Changli commanderies, as well as the Jinyang and Lingzhi commanderies. Its hall names include Liaodong Hall and Changli Hall.
The Cai clan is widely distributed in Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hubei, Anhui, and other provinces, with the largest concentrations in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei.
Cai Kuan was a Presented Scholar in the Chenghua era of the Ming dynasty. He served as Minister of Works, rose to Minister of War, and later died in battle at Huamachi in Gansu.
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