Surname Overview
Overview
The Tai surname is not listed among the top one hundred surnames in mainland China or Taiwan.
Tai Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 110,044Tai / Tai
Origins
Tai is recorded as deriving from the name of the state of Tai, with Hou Ji as its founding ancestor; another account records that the Northern Wei Xianbei Daliji clan changed its surname to Tai after entering the Central Plains.
Historical Records
Documentary Records
Shuowen records that Hou Ji was Yao's chief agricultural official, was enfeoffed at Tai for his merit, and that his descendants adopted Tai as their surname; Tai was located within present-day Wugong County, Shaanxi.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery Seat
The Tai surname's prominent lineage was based in Pinglu, now Yidu, Shandong.
Migration and Distribution
Migration And Distribution
During the Tang dynasty, Gong Zhongcui moved from Linqing, Shandong, to Kaifeng. During the Jingkang era of the Song dynasty, Gong Mao served as deputy magistrate of Chengdu; after the north fell, he could not return, and his three sons settled in Gui, Xiang, and E.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Tai Maozhi was a filial son of the Ming dynasty; Tai Zhongtai was a Song dynasty military commissioner of Jianghuai; Tai Renwu was a general under Zhu Yuanzhang; and Tai Gezhi was a Ming dynasty ink maker.
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.