Dongfang Surname

Surname Overview

Dongfang is a relatively rare compound surname of the Han Chinese, found today in Beijing and in Taiyuan and Changzhi, Shanxi.

Reference: 东方姓_东方姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Origins

Two Origin Traditions

One tradition traces the surname to descendants of Fuxi, who was associated with the eastern direction; another traces it to the Zhang surname and the descendants of the Han-dynasty figure Dongfang Shuo.

Reference: 东方姓-快懂百科

Historical Records

Textual Attestations

The Dongfang surname is included in the Clan Records of the Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi; related records also cite the Fengsu Tong tradition that it descends from Fuxi.

Reference: 东方姓_东方姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commandery and Hall Names

The associated commandery is Pingyuan Commandery, and the hall names include Pingyuan Hall and Sihe Hall. Sihe Hall was named after Dongfang Shuo's self-reproach over taking sacrificial meat, which repeatedly used the word “he.”

Reference: 东方姓大全 - 族谱宝

Migration and Distribution

Dongfang Shuo was from Yanci in Pingyuan; by the Tang dynasty, the Dongfang surname had become one of the prominent surnames of Pingyuan Commandery. After the Song dynasty, the clan became scarce, with small populations now reported in Beijing, Shanxi, Shandong, and Taiwan.

Reference: 东方姓_东方姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Notable People

Historical Figures

Historical figures include Dongfang Shuo, a Western Han minister and writer; Dongfang Qiu, a Tang historian and poet; and Dongfang Xian, a Tang academician.

Reference: 东方姓大全 - 族谱宝