Dou Surname

Surname Overview

Du is a currently fairly common surname, pronounced dū. It is found among Han and Korean ethnic groups and is distributed in many areas. The Zheng Tongzhi, Clan Records includes the surname.

Reference: 都姓_都姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Origins

Main Origins

Recorded lines of origin include descendants of Zheng's Gongsun Yan, whose style name was Zidu; descendants of Gongduzi, a Qi aristocratic official of the Warring States period; descendants of the Gongdu branch formed after Chu's Prince Tian was enfeoffed at Duyi; and descendants of the Qing Manchu Dujia clan who adopted Du as their surname.

Reference: 都姓_都姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Historical Records

Documentary Records

Early records associated with the Du surname include Gongduzi, a person from Qi in the Warring States period. His story appears in chapter 5 of volume 11 of the Mencius, the chapter titled “Meng Jizi Asks Gongduzi.”

Reference: 都姓_都姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commanderies and Hall Names

The Du surname's recorded commanderies include Wuxing and Liyang. Hall names include Liyang, Honglu, Yuqing, and Zhiben. Zhiben Hall is associated with the fourth revision of the Du Qichen genealogy in Tongcheng, Anhui, during the Qing period.

Reference: 都姓_都姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Migration and Distribution

The Du surname is described as a multiethnic, multi-origin surname group. After periods of historical upheaval, its branches spread north and south from Shandong as a center; by the Song and Ming transition, descendants were distributed across both sides of the Yangtze, with a prominent lineage in Liyang Commandery.

Reference: 姓氏文化：都姓_公子_都徒_郑庄公

Notable People

Historical Figures

Du Kuang was a Northern Song official who served as Honglu Shaoqing and Transport Commissioner of Zizhou. Du Sheng, from Ningjin in the Ming period, served as a commander in Nanjing's Yulin Left Guard and was called the “Tofu General” for his integrity and frugal life.

Reference: 都姓_都姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Research Notes

Evidence Boundary

Regarding the ethnic affiliation of Biliha Batur, regarded as the founder of a Mongolian Du lineage, the records state that the Yuan History and the Ming History do not identify his tribal origin. A genealogy alone is insufficient to conclusively establish descent from the Mongolian Golden Family.

Reference: 姓氏文化：都姓_公子_都徒_郑庄公