Surname Overview
Two Main Origins
The He surname has two main origin branches: Gui and Ji.
He Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 12,688,078He / Ho
Origins
Ji-Origin He Line
The Ji-origin He line branched from the Han surname; descendants living in the Jianghuai region changed Han to He through a local pronunciation shift and later lived for generations in Lujiang Commandery.
Historical Records
Shang-Dynasty Inscriptions
Bronze inscriptions from the Shang dynasty indicate that the He surname already existed and that the He clan was a non-royal relative clan of the Shang dynasty.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery Origins
The He surname's commandery lineages include Chen, Lujiang, and Donghai, emerging during the Wei-Jin and Southern Dynasties periods.
Migration and Distribution
Migration to Fujian and Taiwan
By the end of the Western Jin, some He families from the Central Plains had moved to Fujian; during the Tang dynasty, He Sihan entered Fujian with Chen Yuanguang. In the late Ming, He Bin served as an interpreter for the Dutch in Taiwan and is recorded as the earliest He-surname person to enter Taiwan.
Notable People
Early Historical Figures
He Bigan of the Western Han served as廷尉 under Emperor Wu and is identified as the first notable figure of the Ji-origin He line. He Jin of the Eastern Han was from Wan in Nanyang and rose to Grand General.
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