Shen Surname

Surname Overview

The Shen surname has complex origins, broadly divided into lineages named after states and those named after fiefs; there are more than 7.5 million people with the surname in China today.

Reference: 沈氏家谱网 提供15个省区市的461部沈氏家谱、沈氏族谱

Origins

Four Main Origins

The main origins of the Shen surname are Ying, Si, Ji, and Mi. The Ying and Si lineages are each described as having histories of at least 3,000 years, while the Ji and Mi lineages are each associated with 2,500 years.

Reference: 沈姓起源分布与家谱家族

Historical Records

Recorded Lineages

Ancient texts differ on the Shen surname's origins, but the main accounts include the ancient Si-surname Shen state, the Spring and Autumn-period Shen state, and a fief-based lineage originating from Shenlu, the fief of Gongzi Zhen, a son of King Zhuang of Chu.

Reference: 沈氏家谱网 提供15个省区市的461部沈氏家谱、沈氏族谱

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Hall Names

Existing Shen genealogy records include the hall names Dunxu, Hongshou, Sanyi, and Dunli, appearing in genealogies from Songjiang, Jinshan, and Chongming.

Reference: 沈氏家谱网 提供15个省区市的461部沈氏家谱、沈氏族谱

Migration and Distribution

Before the Qin period, the Shen surname was mainly active in Henan and Hubei. It reached Zhejiang in the Eastern Han, Fujian during Tang-era migration and later Guangdong, and Taiwan by the late Ming. In the Song period it was concentrated mainly in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, and Henan; in the Ming period, mainly in Zhejiang and Jiangsu.

Reference: 沈姓起源分布与家谱家族

Genealogy and Generation Names

Genealogies and Generation Names

The Shen Genealogy Network lists 461 Shen genealogies from 15 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, including 224 from Zhejiang, 105 from Jiangsu, 31 from Hunan, and 17 from Hubei. It also provides generation-name compilations for places including Shaanxi, Hubei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Hunan, and Zhejiang.

Reference: 沈氏家谱网 提供15个省区市的461部沈氏家谱、沈氏族谱