Xu / Hsü
In 2019, Xu ranked 11th by population in mainland China, with about 20.2 million people, accounting for 1.43% of the national population; its population was concentrated mainly in Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Sichuan.
The Xu surname has two main origins: one derived from the state name of Xu among the Ying lineage, and the other associated with the enfeoffment of Shang survivors after Duke Zhou Dan suppressed the rebellion.
The former territory of Xu was north of present-day Si County in Anhui. Xu remained active in the Jianghuai region through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, and its descendants later adopted the state name as their surname.
Before the Qin dynasty, the Xu surname was mainly distributed in Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shandong. During the Wei and Jin periods it began a large-scale southward migration, developing mainly along the Huai River and lower Yangtze; during the Song and Yuan periods it expanded into Fujian and Guangdong.
Historical figures with the Xu surname include Xu Guang, Xu Shu, Xu Huang, Xu Ling, Xu Shiji, Xu Da, Xu Xiake, Xu Guangqi, Xu Wei, Xu Dachun, Xu Shichang, Xu Zhimo, and Xu Beihong.
There is currently no conclusive archaeological evidence that fully confirms the ancestral homeland of the Xu surname; the main candidates for the capital of Xu include Tancheng in Shandong, Sihong in Jiangsu, and Liangwangcheng in Pizhou, Xuzhou.
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