Surname Overview
Present Distribution
Among contemporary Su users, ancestral origins are mainly distributed across Guangdong, Shandong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Sichuan; Guangdong accounts for 13.0%, Shandong 8.2%, and Fujian 7.3%.
Su Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 5,311,060Su / Su
Origins
Main Origins
The Su surname mainly originated from the Ji surname and from descendants of the Kunwu clan enfeoffed at You-Su. After the state of Su fell at the end of the Shang dynasty, its people adopted Su as their surname; in the early Zhou dynasty, Su Fen-sheng was enfeoffed at Su, which was later destroyed by the Di in 650 BCE.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Hall Names
The main commanderies associated with the Su surname are Wugong, Fufeng, Henei, Wuyi, Lantian and Luoyang. Hall names include Wugong, Fufeng, Lantian, Luoyang, Lushan and Meishan.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Migration
Before the Qin dynasty, Su families were mainly active in Henan and Hebei. During the Warring States period, branches moved south to Hubei and Hunan and west to Shaanxi; they spread east to Shandong in the Qin and Han periods, reached Sichuan and Fujian in the Tang period, expanded to western Sichuan, Yunnan, the two Guang provinces and Southeast Asia in the Northern Song, and migrated repeatedly to Taiwan during the Ming and Qing periods.
Notable People
Historical Figures and the “Three Sus”
The Dictionary of Chinese Names includes 173 historical figures surnamed Su. Su Xun, Su Shi and Su Zhe, a father and his two sons, were all renowned writers and are collectively known as the “Three Sus.”
Genealogy and Generation Names
Genealogical Records
Libraries and other institutions in China and abroad have officially published records of 202 Su genealogies in their collections.
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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.
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