Shāng Surname

Surname Overview

The surname Shang, pronounced Shāng, is a relatively common surname with a broad distribution, accounting for about 0.027% of China's Han population.

Reference: 商姓_商姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Origins

Two Main Origins

The Shang surname mainly has two branches: the Zi-surname branch derives from Xie, who was enfeoffed in Shang, whose descendants adopted the state name after the Shang dynasty fell; the Ji-surname branch derives from Shang Yang, who was enfeoffed in Shang, whose descendants adopted Shang as their surname.

Reference: 商姓起源分布与家谱家族

Historical Records

Early Records

By the pre-Qin period, Shang Ze and Shang Qu were recorded in historical texts, both as people of Lu. By the Warring States period, the Shang surname was already distributed in areas corresponding to present-day Shangqiu in Henan, Shang County in Shaanxi, and Qufu in Shandong.

Reference: 商姓_商姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commanderies and Hall Names

The Shang surname's commandery associations include Runan, Jingzhao, and Puyang. Its hall names include Zhiyuan, Kanlie, Sanyuan, Liangxian, Jing'ai, Haoyi, and Xuzhi.

Reference: 商姓_商姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Migration and Distribution

Around the Han period, the Shang surname had spread to Pingyu in Henan, Xi'an in Shaanxi, and the Henan-Shandong border region. In the early Ming, Shang families from Shanxi were relocated to several regions with the Hongdong locust-tree migrants; during the Qing period, some Shang families entered the three northeastern provinces and later expanded into northeastern Inner Mongolia.

Reference: 商姓_商姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Notable People

Historical Figures

Historical figures with the Shang surname include Shang Qu, a disciple of Confucius from Lu in the Spring and Autumn period; Shang Yang of the Warring States period; the early Yuan minister Shang Ting; the Ming figures Shang Lu and Shang Dajie; and the modern-era palace examination third-ranked candidate Shang Yanliu.

Reference: 商姓_商姓的来源和历史_百家姓