Surname Overview
Wei is a rare surname among the Han Chinese, pronounced Wēi.
Wēi Surname
Surname profileWēi
Origins
Origin From a Mountain Name
The account cited from the Xingyuan states that Wei took its surname from a mountain name. Another explanation interprets 峗 as a combination of the characters in “Sanwei,” referring to Sanwei Mountain southeast of present-day Dunhuang, Gansu.
Historical Records
Documentary Records
The Qing Tongzhi: Clan Records includes the Wei surname, and the Wanshi Tongpu also records it by citing the Xingyuan.
Migration and Distribution
Present Distribution
The Wei surname is found in Dongchuan, Yunnan, and Anyue, Sichuan, among other places.
Notable People
Historical Figure
In the Qing dynasty, Wei Kaifa passed the provincial examination in the Gengchen year of the Qianlong era.
Research Notes
Recorded Pronunciation Difference
The Hanyu Da Zidian gives the pronunciation wéi for 峗, but does not specify its use as a surname.
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