Surname Overview
Pronunciation and Ranking
The surname Qiu is pronounced qiú. It ranks 171st in the Song-era Hundred Family Surnames; its contemporary population is about 130,000, approximately 0.0075% of China's total population.
Qiu Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 120,003Qiu / Ch'iu
Origins
Three Main Origins
Three origins are recorded for the Qiu surname: adoption from an official post responsible for making fur garments, adoption from the fief of Qiu held by a minister of Wey, and changes from the Qiu surnames written 仇 or 求.
Historical Records
Historical Textual Records
The Treatise on Clans in Zheng Qiao's Comprehensive Records associates the surname with a Wey minister's fief at Qiu; Guangyun records a change from 仇 to 裘 to avoid enmity; and the Survey of Surnames classifies 裘 as a surname derived from an office.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery and Hall Names
The Qiu clan's commandery affiliation is Bohai, and its hall names include Bohai Hall and Dunmu Hall. Dunmu Hall commemorates the household of Qiu Chengxun, which remained undivided for nineteen generations during the Song dynasty.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
During the Song and Ming dynasties, the Qiu surname was concentrated mainly in Zhejiang. Today it is widely distributed, with Zhejiang and Jiangxi together accounting for more than 60% of the surname's population nationwide.
Notable People
Song Poet Qiu Wanqing
Qiu Wanqing, courtesy name Yuanliang, was a native of Xinjian, a Song-dynasty poet and jinshi degree holder who served as Jiangxi fugan.
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