Xiong Surname

Surname Overview

Two Main Origins

The Xiong surname mainly has two branches of origin: Ji and Mi.

Reference: 熊姓起源分布与家谱家族

Origins

The Ji Branch

The Ji-branch Xiong lineage descends from Shaodian, son of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor was known as Youxiong, and some of his descendants adopted Xiong as their surname. Xiong Pi, a minister during Emperor Yao's time, and Xiong Kun, a minister of Hou Yi in the early Xia period, were both descendants of Youxiong.

Reference: 熊姓起源分布与家谱家族

The Mi Branch and Chu

The Mi-branch Xiong lineage originated with Jilian and his descendant Xuexiong. The Xuexiong clan adopted the bear as its totem; afterward, the people of Chu used Xiong as their surname and rarely continued using Mi.

Reference: 熊姓起源分布与家谱家族

Historical Records

Historical Chronology

The Ji-branch Xiong lineage has a history of more than 4,000 years, while the Mi-branch lineage has a history of more than 3,100 years. Chu was founded in 1067 BCE and was destroyed by Qin in 223 BCE.

Reference: 熊姓起源分布与家谱家族

Migration and Distribution

Before the Qin period, the Xiong lineage was active in Hubei, Henan, and Anhui. During the Qin and Han periods, its distribution had expanded to Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, southern Shaanxi, eastern Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, and other areas.

Reference: 熊姓起源分布与家谱家族

Present-Day Distribution

Among contemporary Xiong-surname users, ancestral regions are concentrated mainly in Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, and Chongqing. Hubei accounts for 20.4%, Jiangxi 19.0%, and Sichuan 13.3%.

Reference: 熊姓起源分布与家谱家族

Research Notes

Boundary of Ethnic Adoption

There was no large-scale historical event in which people from outside groups changed their surname to Xiong, but some ethnic minorities in areas bordering Xiong-surname concentrations adopted the Han surname Xiong.

Reference: 熊姓起源分布与家谱家族