Surname Overview
Overview
The surname 發 is pronounced fā and is relatively rare today.
发 Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 80Origins
Early Origin
The Records of the Grand Historian, in the Treatise on the Feng and Shan Sacrifices, mentions Fa Gen of Youshui County; Fa is identified as the surname and Gen as the given name, marking the beginning of the surname.
Historical Records
Ethnic Affiliations
The surname Fa occurs among the Han, Bonan, and Dongxiang peoples.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
The surname is found in Wulian, Shandong; Hutubi, Xinjiang; Huangmei, Hubei; Fujian; Chishui, Guizhou; Shicheng, Jiangxi; Linxia, Gansu; Jiangchuan, Yunnan; Tianlin, Guangxi; and the Taiyuan and Jinzhong areas of Shanxi.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Recorded bearers of the surname include Fa Gen and the Ming-era Fa Shao.
Research Notes
Forms and Readings
The simplified form 发 corresponds to two distinct surname forms: 發, pronounced fā, and 髮, pronounced fà; the latter is separately included in the entering-tone section of the Treatise on Clans and Lineages in the Comprehensive Treatises.
Continue your family research
Start with ancestral counties, villages, personal names and dates. Record genealogy titles, volumes, editions and catalog identifiers. A shared surname does not prove a shared lineage; compare branch records.
Surname attestation references
These catalogs or datasets attest written names, not every origin or lineage claim on this page.
This page includes automatically organized material. Check the references and original family documents.
Add or correct information
Submit the information and a reference link for possible inclusion on this page.