Surname Overview
Surname of the Jin Imperial House
Wanyan was the surname used by the Jin imperial house.
WanYan Surname
Surname profileWanYan / WanYan
Origins
Surname Changes for Protection
After the fall of the Jin, some Wanyan people went into seclusion or changed their names and surnames to avoid danger; many adopted the Chinese surnames Wang, Chen, Wang, Yan, Wan, Yan, or Yuan.
Migration and Distribution
Migration After the Fall of Jin
After the fall of Jin, branches that retained the Wanyan surname were found in Jingchuan, Gansu; a branch of the distant imperial relative Wanyan Shouxiang eventually returned to Shangjing Huining Prefecture. Overall, the Wanyan people had largely moved into the Central Plains during the Song-Jin period.
Notable People
Wanyan Figures in the Qing
In the Qing, Wanyan Chonghou served in the Grand Council and as Commissioner of Trade for the Three Ports and an imperial commissioner; his father, Wanyan Linqing, was a river conservancy governor during the Daoguang era.
Genealogy and Generation Names
A Genealogical Tradition of a Henan Gao Branch
Gao-surname residents in Jia County and Nanzhao County, Henan, identify themselves as descendants of Wanyan Aguda and say that their ancestors adopted the Gao surname after migrating to protect the family line; the Nanzhao branch is said to have continued for 26 generations.
Research Notes
Limits of Genealogical Identification
Although Jin-era Jurchen surnames and Qing-era Manchu surnames show continuity in writing and pronunciation, their bloodline transmission is difficult to establish clearly.
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