Surname Overview
Yin is a rare Chinese surname. Zheng Qiao's Tongzhi records it as one of the four clans of the Suiren.
Yīn Surname
Surname profileYīn / Yin
Origins
Two Origin Traditions
Two origin traditions are recorded: one derives the surname from the Shang-period state of Yin, using the state name as the surname; the other derives it from the Yin clan among the four clans of the Zhou-period state of Sui.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Clan Records of Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi both include the surname Yin; the Zuo Zhuan also records Sui Yin Shi.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution and Communities
The surname is currently found in Beijing; Taiyuan, Yuncheng, Linfen, and Xinzhou in Shanxi; and Wuhan and Lichuan in Hubei. It occurs among both Han and Dong communities.
Notable People
Historical Figure: Yin Li
Yin Li was a Ming-period native of Quwo. He became a Juren in the Gengwu year of the Jingtai era, served as an educational instructor in Qingjian and Yucheng, and later became a professor in Songjiang.
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