Lu Surname

Surname Overview

The surname Lu is pronounced lù and ranks 138th in the Hundred Family Surnames. In modern China it ranks about 151st among surnames and accounts for approximately 0.07% of the Han population.

Reference: 《百家姓》第138姓：路，路姓来源、分布地域与名人介绍 | 速查君

Origins

Seven Origins

Seven origins are listed for the Lu surname: Ji, Jiang, Yun, adoption of a county name, Kui, adoption by other ethnic groups, and a legend involving the Southern Song imperial house.

Reference: 《百家姓》第138姓：路，路姓来源、分布地域与名人介绍 | 速查君

Historical Records

Founding Ancestor

Xuanyuan is regarded as the founding ancestor of the Lu surname. A tribal leader during the reign of Emperor Yao, he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Luzhong for his merits, and his descendants took the state name as their surname.

Reference: 《百家姓》第138姓：路，路姓来源、分布地域与名人介绍 | 速查君

Migration and Distribution

By the Han dynasty, the Lu surname was distributed across present-day Hebei, Beijing, Henan, and Shanxi, and was also present in Sichuan. During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern dynasties, five commandery seats formed in Henan: Xiangcheng, Chenliu, Henan, Neihuang, and Yingchuan. In the early Ming, Lu families from Shanxi were relocated to Henan, Hebei, Shandong, and Tianjin among the migrants from Hongdong’s locust tree.

Reference: 《百家姓》第138姓：路，路姓来源、分布地域与名人介绍 | 速查君

Notable People

Historical Figures

Lu Gao was a Song-dynasty painter; Lu Shuyuan was an empress dowager of Liu Song; and Lu Jingchun was a Tang-dynasty scholar who served as an Academician of the Chongxian Hall and wrote the Xinglue and Yiguan xilu.

Reference: 《百家姓》第138姓：路，路姓来源、分布地域与名人介绍 | 速查君