Surname Overview
Wu, pronounced Wú, is a relatively rare Han Chinese surname in current use.
Wú Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 7Wú / Wu
Origins
Gui-lineage Origin
One branch is traced to the Gui lineage and descended from Chen Jingzhong of the Spring and Autumn period.
Reference: 梧_梧姓氏起源来源_梧姓氏名人查询_姓氏大全:梧
Ji-lineage and Zheng Origins
Another branch is traced to the Ji lineage through the ruling clan of Zheng; a further account says that the ancient state of Wu was in Zheng territory and that its people adopted the state name as their surname after it was conquered by Jin.
Historical Records
Textual Attestations
The surname Wu is recorded in the Shizulüe section of Zheng Tongzhi. Xingshi Kaolüe quotes Qianfu Lun as stating that the descendants of Chen Jingzhong included the Wu clan, and cites a note in Lushi concerning Zheng’s ruling clan, the place called Wu, and adoption of the place-name as a surname.
Migration and Distribution
Present Distribution
The surname is found today in Wuchuan, Guangdong; Wuhan, Hubei; Changli, Hebei; Taiyuan and the Jinzhong area of Shanxi; and Liujiang, Guangxi.
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.