Surname Overview
Ku, pronounced kǔ, is a relatively rare modern Han Chinese surname included in the Zheng Tongzhi's Clan Treatise.
Ku Surname
Surname profileKu / K'u
Origins
Shuozong's Enfeoffment at Ku
One lineage is traced to Shuozong, described as a fifth-generation ancestor of Lao Dan. Shuozong served King Kang of Zhou, was enfeoffed at Ku, and adopted the fief's name as a surname. The old city of Ku lay ten li east of present-day Luyi, Henan.
Reference: 苦_苦姓氏起源来源_苦姓氏名人查询_姓氏大全:苦
Ji-Clan and Xi Lineage
Another lineage derives from the Ji clan. During the Spring and Autumn period, the Jin official Xi Chou held an estate at Ku and was known as Kucheng Shu; his descendants formed the Kucheng and Ku surnames. This old city of Ku was east of Xie County and south of Anyi in present-day Shanxi.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Kuaiji Commandery
The ancestral commandery associated with the Ku surname is Kuaiji.
Migration and Distribution
Modern Distribution
The Ku surname is found today in Beijing, Qingliu in Fujian, Tonghai in Yunnan, Chengdu in Sichuan, and other places.
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Surname attestation references
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