Surname Overview
The surname Hu is pronounced hù and is currently relatively uncommon.
Hu Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 74,156Hu / Hu
Origins
Main Origins
One account traces the surname to the Si lineage, descendants of Yu the Great who adopted a state name as their surname. Another traces it to the Xianbei Hudiqian tribe during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, whose name was sinicized into surnames.
Migration and Distribution
Regional Distribution
The Hu surname is distributed in Wuqing of Tianjin and Laoting of Hebei, and is also found in Shandong, Liaoning, Shanxi, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Taiwan, Guangxi, Henan, Jiangsu, and Beijing.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Hu Zun was a figure of the Han period, and Hu Xiao was a successful candidate in the Shuntian provincial examination during the Ming period.
Research Notes
Limits of Historical Dating
Because the origins of the Hu surname reach far back in time, their details are difficult to verify; the surname is regarded as one of the very ancient surnames.
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Surname attestation references
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