Surname Overview
Overview
The Ren surname is a rare Chinese surname derived from a clan name.
人 Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 6Origins
Renfang was an ancient clan name, also called Yifang or Shifang. During the Shang period, it was distributed around Shandong and belonged to the southeastern Yi; its state was destroyed at the end of the Shang. The Ren surname arose from the state of Renfang.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
Ren is a rare surname still in use, distributed today in Linfen, Shanxi. It is recorded in Xu Tongzhi: Shizu Lue and first appears in Xingyuan. Ren Pofei lived during the Northern Wei, and Ren Jie during the Ming.
Migration and Distribution
Current Distribution
The Ren surname is found in Yudu and Guixi in Jiangxi; Jiuquan in Gansu; Hejin, Huozhou, and Datong in Shanxi; Zhoukou in Henan; Beijing; Xinyi in Jiangsu; Daishan in Zhejiang; and Qufu in Shandong.
Notable People
Historical Figure
Ren Jie, a native of Kaizhou in the Ming dynasty, served as a baihu in the Left Company of the Qiongzhou Guard in Guangdong.
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