Surname Overview
Surname and Pronunciation
The surname Ku (庫) was historically rare and was pronounced Shè.
Shè Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 376Shè / She
Origins
Official-Title Origin
One account traces the surname to descendants of warehouse officials, who took the surname from the office of warehouse keeper.
Historical Records
Documented Pronunciation
The Surname Dictionary, Zheng Tongzhi, and Xu Tongzhi all record this pronunciation; Hanshu Yinyi gives it as the sound of “赦”.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Recorded bearers include Ku Jun, a Han-dynasty governor of Jincheng, and Ku Jisheng, a Ming-dynasty assistant magistrate of Shanghang.
Research Notes
Boundary with She
The records associate the Shè pronunciation of Ku with “厍”, but state that the Shè surname Ku is no longer seen, while the current Ku surname is pronounced Kù; “厍” is treated separately.
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