Surname Overview
“维” (維), pronounced Wéi, is a currently uncommon surname found among the Han, Yi, Lisu, and other groups.
Wéi Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 7Wéi / Wei
Origins
Recorded origins include descent from Ji, adoption of the surname from the fief of Gou by a Zhou noble family, and the Northern Wei Xiaowen Emperor’s change of the Xianbei surname Kehou to Wei; another account traces it to a Lai official who held Wei as a fief, along with a Manchu origin.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The Xu Tongzhi: Shizulüe records the surname Wei. The Xing shi kaolüe explains it as deriving from a place name, which may refer to Yiwei or to Weizhou, established during the Tang dynasty.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution
Recorded distribution locations include Zhanhua and Pingdu in Shandong; Taiyuan and Datong in Shanxi; Guichi in Anhui; Lipu in Guangxi; Longchuan in Yunnan; Huaibin in Henan; Xinfeng in Guangdong; Kangxian in Gansu; Taoyuan in Taiwan; and Beijing.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Historical records mention Wei Si in the Han dynasty, Wei Shan in the Yuan dynasty, and Wei Yun in the Ming dynasty; Wei Si is recorded variously as being from Juan County or Chengdu.
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Surname attestation references
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