Jin Surname

Surname Overview

Origin and History

The Jin surname originated from the Mi surname, and the history of the Mi-derived Jin lineage dates back at least 2,300 years.

Reference: 靳姓起源分布与家谱家族

Origins

Main Lineage Origin

Jin was a small state in the Chu region during the Spring and Autumn period and later became the fief of a Chu grandee; the descendants of the Chu grandee Jin Shang adopted the fief as their surname.

Reference: 靳姓_百度百科

Other Ethnic Origins

The Jin surname also arose through sinicization or adoption of Han surnames among the Southern Xiongnu, Mongols, Manchus, and other minority groups.

Reference: 靳姓_百度百科

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Xihe Commandery

The prominent Jin lineage was associated with Xihe Commandery, located in present-day Fenyang, Shanxi.

Reference: 靳姓_百度百科

Migration and Distribution

Historical Distribution

Before the Qin dynasty, the Jin surname was active in Hunan and later migrated north; by the Qin and Han periods, it had reached northern China. During the Song period it was concentrated mainly in Sichuan, Shandong, and Guangdong, and during the Ming period mainly in Shandong, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Hebei, and Henan.

Reference: 靳姓起源分布与家谱家族

Notable People

Historical Figures

Jin Shang, a grandee of Chu during the Warring States period, is a key figure in the Jin surname lineage; during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, Jin Zhun of the Southern Xiongnu Jin lineage proclaimed himself king.

Reference: 靳姓_百度百科

Jin Zhun

During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, some Southern Xiongnu people adopted the single Han surname Jin; among them, Jin Zhun proclaimed himself king.

Reference: 靳姓_百度百科