Xiǎnyú / Hsien-yü
Xianyu is a Chinese compound surname. Its main origins are a branch formed from the fief of Zizhong, a descendant of Jizi in the Shang dynasty, and a branch formed through sinicization among the Chile people during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. At the end of the Shang dynasty, Jizi established Joseon in Liaodong; his branch son Zizhong was enfeoffed in Yu, combining the state name Xian with the fief name Yu to form Xianyu.
The Xianyu Huang Stele is an important physical record for studying the history of the Xianyu family. It was erected beside his tomb by his grandson Yu Fang in the eighth year of Yanxi in the Eastern Han, and was unearthed in 1973 in Wuqing District, Tianjin.
The Xianyu surname is associated with Yuyang Commandery and Taiyuan Prefecture, also called Taiyuan Commandery. Its hall names include Taiyuan Hall and Yuyang Hall, as well as Dunhou Hall.
The Xianyu surname was initially concentrated in Liaodong. During the Northern Wei, some members moved to Pingcheng, later forming a settlement centered on Yuyang Commandery. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, branches expanded to Chang'an and Luoyang; after the Five Dynasties, some moved south to Jingchu and Bashu. Today, the surname is mainly distributed in Luanping, Hebei; Chaoyang, Liaoning; and Guangyuan, Sichuan, with a branch still in Jeollanam-do, Korea.
Xianyu Shu was a Yuan-dynasty scholar and calligrapher, courtesy name Boji. He lived in Hangzhou and rose to be a secretary in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He was especially skilled in running and cursive script and was renowned alongside Zhao Mengfu.
The generation names of the Xianyu lineage in Nanchong, Sichuan, are: “Chao Zhong Jia Xue Shi Wen Yuan Ke Zhao Shao Ting Zhong Qi Ji Xian Dai Chang Huai Zun Guo Zhong Shu De Zhao Pi Xu Xuan Cai Ying Jia Sheng.” The longer sequence of the Yidu, Hubei, lineage begins with “Xun Xing De Zhong” and ends with “Chang Yan Zu Wu Ze Hui Yuan Zhang.”
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