Surname Overview
The surname Wei is pronounced wēi. It is currently uncommon, widely distributed, but small in population.
Wei Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 101,043Wei / Wei
Origins
Three Origins
The surname has three stated origins: a place name, the Ji surname, and a surname change. Descendants of Sanmiao took the surname after moving to Sanwei; descendants of Wei had the surname Wei; and the ancestor of the Ming figure Wei Su originally had the surname Huang before adopting Wei.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestations
The surname is recorded in Zheng Tongzhi's Genealogical Summary. The Surname Research Notes cites Qianfulun as saying “descendants of Sanmiao” and records that Wei Su's ancestor originally had the surname Huang before changing to Wei.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commanderies and Halls
The recorded commanderies are Runan and Qi. Recorded hall names include Runan Hall, Linchuan Hall, and Taishi Hall, as well as Jinchang, Sanmiao, Jianshang, Dunben, and Renyi halls.
Migration and Distribution
During the Song and Ming periods, the surname was mainly distributed in Jiangxi and Fujian. In the contemporary sample, ancestral regions are mainly Hunan, Fujian, and Jiangxi.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Wei Quanfeng was a late-Tang general; Wei Zhaode was a Song official; and Wei Su was a historian, calligrapher, and writer of the late Yuan and early Ming periods.
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