Surname Overview
Overview of the He Surname
The He surname is traditionally considered to have originated from the Qing surname; the He lineage of Shanyin in Kuaiji was once a prominent local family.
He Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 2,538,904He / Ho
Origins
Main Origins
One branch of the He surname came from the Jiang-surnamed Qing lineage; during the Eastern Han, Qing Chun changed Qing to He to avoid the personal name of Liu Qing, father of Emperor An. Other branches came from Northern Wei Xianbei compound surnames that were changed to the single surname He.
Historical Records
Documentary and Historical Records
The earliest record of the He surname is said to appear in the Eastern Han work Qianfulun; historical figures include He Shao of Wu during the Three Kingdoms, He Xun of the Jin dynasty, He Zhizhang of the Tang dynasty, and He Renjie of the Yuan dynasty.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
The main commanderies associated with the He surname are Kuaiji, Henan, and Guangping; its hall names include Kuaiji and Siming.
Migration and Distribution
Migration and Present Distribution
After the Ming and Qing periods, the He surname spread throughout the country; among contemporary He-surname users, ancestral-place registrations are concentrated mainly in Hunan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Genealogies and Generation Names
Existing He genealogies are distributed across multiple provinces and regions; one branch from Jiaxing, Zhejiang, uses the generation sequence “Qi Tai Xuan Yu Shao Sheng Shang, Kai Qing Xi Chen Yu Shao De.”
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Start with ancestral counties, villages, personal names and dates. Record genealogy titles, volumes, editions and catalog identifiers. A shared surname does not prove a shared lineage; compare branch records.
Surname attestation references
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This page includes automatically organized material. Check the references and original family documents.
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