Surname Overview
Distribution Overview
The Jia surname is widely distributed and accounts for about 0.42% of China’s Han population, with concentrations in Henan, Hebei, Sichuan, and Shanxi.
Jia Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 4,094,102Jia / Chia
Origins
Two Main Origins
The Jia surname has two principal origins: adoption of a state name and adoption of a fief name. Both are connected with the ancient Jia area, southwest of present-day Xiangfen County, Shanxi.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
Jia commandery origins include Wuwei, Luoyang, Changle, and Linfen. Recorded hall names include Wuwei, Luoyang, Changle, Zhiyan, Xiaoyou, Weize, and Wenyu.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Migration
By the pre-Qin period, Jia families had reached present-day Henan and Shandong. During the Han dynasty, some moved to present-day Shaanxi and Gansu; during the Tang and Song periods, they spread into Jiangnan, and by the Qing dynasty some had moved overseas.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Genealogical Branches
One genealogy from Yuanjiang, Hunan, records that the founding migrant ancestor Jia Lian moved from Chenliu County of Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan, to Yuanjiang in the early Hongwu period of the Ming dynasty. Another genealogy traces its line to Jia Yi and records branches moving to different parts of Yuanjiang at the end of the Yuan dynasty.
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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
These catalogs or datasets attest written names, not every origin or lineage claim on this page.
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