Surname Overview
Lei is an ancient Chinese surname with a wide distribution, especially significant in Sichuan, Hubei, and Shaanxi.
Lei Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 2,917,435Lei / Lei
Origins
Main Origins
The Lei surname has three recorded lines of origin: descendants of Fang Lei adopting the state name, descendants of Lei Gong adopting the ancestor's name, and Lei surnames formed through changes of surname or found among ethnic minorities.
Historical Records
Early Attestations
The Yuanhe Xingzuan and Tongzhi: Shizulüe record Fang Lei as one of the tribes in the time of the Yellow Emperor; some descendants took the fief as their surname and used the single surname Lei.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
The main Lei hall names include Qianrang, Fengyi, Yuzhang, and Jingyi; its commandery affiliations include Fengyi and Yuzhang.
Migration and Distribution
Early Lei families moved from the Central Plains to areas including Jiangxi, Hubei, Anhui, and Sichuan. In the Jin dynasty, descendants of Lei Yi and Lei Tong formed the Yuzhang lineage, while one branch of Lei Huan's descendants moved to Fengyi.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Generation Names
One Lei branch in Yongqing, Hebei, uses the generation sequence: “An, Jing, Jing, Jin; Yi, Yun, Neng, Lai, You; Yuan, Yuan, Yong, Zhen, Qiang.”
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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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