Surname Overview
Rui is currently an uncommon surname, found today in Beijing and Jincheng, Shanxi, and recorded in relevant surname texts.
Rui Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 159Rui / Rui
Origins
Three origins are recorded: descendants of Rui Situ of Qi, taking the surname from an office or role; a Zi-surname origin as descendants of Weizi of Song; and an Xianbei origin.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Guangyun records Rui Guan, an Xianbei grand censorial secretary during the Shengping era of Emperor Mu of Jin; related records also appear in the Lushi and Kaolue of Surnames.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Rui Guan was an Xianbei grand censorial official during the Shengping era of Jin; Rui Tingjian was from Nanchong, Sichuan, and passed the Hongwu-era examination in the Ming dynasty.
Research Notes
Limits of Interpretation
For the Qi figure Rui Situ, Zheng Qiao explains the origin as taking the surname from an affair or role; another explanation derives it from an official post, and the two interpretations differ in their original meaning.
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Surname attestation references
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