Pu Surname

Surname Overview

An Ancient Surname and Its Branches

The Pu surname is an ancient Han Chinese surname. The Arab Pu lineage associated with Pu Shougeng was not of the same bloodline as the ancient Pu lineages.

Reference: 这个姓氏被三次"灭族"，如今后人隐姓埋名，有些罪要用几代人来还_蒲寿庚_泉州_福建

Origins

Three Origins

The recorded origins of the Pu surname include descendants of Emperor Shun adopting the name from the fief of Puban; a Di-Qiang chieftain's family adopting it after reeds grew in its pond; and, around the transition from the Song to the Yuan, an Arab-origin Pu lineage from the Middle East appearing in Quanzhou.

Reference: 这个姓氏被三次"灭族"，如今后人隐姓埋名，有些罪要用几代人来还_蒲寿庚_泉州_福建

Historical Records

Documentary Attestations

Relevant records appear in Wanxing Tongpu, Shiliuguo Chunqiu: Qianqin Lu, and Min Shu. Min Shu states that Pu Shougeng's ancestors were from the Western Regions, lived in Guangzhou, and managed trade with foreign merchants.

Reference: 这个姓氏被三次"灭族"，如今后人隐姓埋名，有些罪要用几代人来还_蒲寿庚_泉州_福建

Migration and Distribution

In the Song period, the Pu surname was concentrated around Sichuan and Gansu, while the Quanzhou branch had a large population. After the Ming period, it moved substantially southward and spread into inland areas including Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Shaanxi, and Gansu; Sichuan remains the province with the largest Pu population.

Reference: 这个姓氏被三次"灭族"，如今后人隐姓埋名，有些罪要用几代人来还_蒲寿庚_泉州_福建

Notable People

Pu Shougeng

Pu Shougeng's ancestors came from the Western Regions; his family first lived in Guangzhou and later moved to Quanzhou to engage in the spice trade by sea. He later became Fujian and Guangzhao Pacification Commissioner, overseeing maritime vessels and maritime trade administration.

Reference: 这个姓氏被三次"灭族"，如今后人隐姓埋名，有些罪要用几代人来还_蒲寿庚_泉州_福建

Research Notes

Surname Changes and Lineage Boundaries

Among Pu descendants in the Ming period, punishment and efforts to avoid danger led to surname changes, dispersal, and concealment. Recorded changes include Bu, Yang, and Wu, while one Quanzhou group also changed to Huang; therefore, present-day bearers of the surname cannot be assigned to historical lineages by surname alone.

Reference: 这个姓氏被三次"灭族"，如今后人隐姓埋名，有些罪要用几代人来还_蒲寿庚_泉州_福建