Surname Overview
Population and Main Distribution
As of 2019, about 89,000 people bore the Xin surname, accounting for approximately 0.0067% of China's population, with the main concentrations in Shandong, Hebei, Henan, and Liaoning.
Xin Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 84,122Xin / Xin
Origins
Descent from Lord Xinling
One lineage of the Xin surname is traced to the Ji clan through descendants of Wei Wuji, Lord Xinling of the State of Wei during the Warring States period, who adopted the name of his fief, Xinling, as their surname.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery Association: Wei Commandery
The principal commandery association of the Xin surname is Wei Commandery, established under Emperor Gaozu of Han and administered from Ye County, southwest of present-day Linzhang County, Hebei.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution During the Song and Ming
During the Song dynasty, the Xin surname was concentrated mainly in Shandong; during the Ming dynasty, it was concentrated mainly in Hebei.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Notable bearers include Xin Dufang, a Northern Qi mathematician; Xin Shichang, a Song landscape painter; Xin Shi, a Liaozhou judge during the Hongwu era of the Ming; and Xin Biao, a Xi'an Zhou youji during the Kangxi era of the Qing.
Research Notes
Pronunciation and Variant Account
The current pronunciation of the Xin surname is xìn. There are also records of Shen (申) being corrupted into Xin (信) and of a shēn reading, although another analysis states that no Xin surname pronounced shēn has been found.
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