Surname Overview
A Rare Han Chinese Surname
Xu is a relatively rare surname currently used among Han Chinese.
Xu Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 39Xu / Xu
Origins
Genealogical Account of Origin
Gaosougong Genealogy: An Inquiry into the Origins of the Chi Clan states that “the Xu surname originated from Xuanyuan,” followed by “the Chi surname descends from the Yellow Emperor and from the people of the Shang dynasty.”
Historical Records
Written Attestations
The surname Xu is recorded in Xing Yuan and Xu Tongzhi: Shizu Lue.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery Association
The Xu surname's commandery association is Donglu.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
The Xu surname is found in Yutai, Dongxing, Pingyi, Xintai, and Sishui in Shandong, as well as Xiangtan in Hunan, Yongchang in Gansu, Huainan in Anhui, Gaochun and Wujin in Jiangsu, Jiangshan in Zhejiang, Kuancheng in Hebei, Gaixian and Fuxin in Liaoning, Taiyuan, Datong, Linfen, and Xinzhou in Shanxi, Yima in Henan, Shaowu in Fujian, Beijing, and Hsinchu and Tainan in Taiwan.
Genealogy and Generation Names
Zoucheng Branch and Generation Characters
The Xu surname occurs in Shanghe Township in eastern Zoucheng, Shandong. Known generation characters include Lian, Xiang, Rui, and Yu. Xu Liancheng was born in 1921, and his sons are Xu Xianghua and Xu Xiangsen.
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Start with ancestral counties, villages, personal names and dates. Record genealogy titles, volumes, editions and catalog identifiers. A shared surname does not prove a shared lineage; compare branch records.
Surname attestation references
These catalogs or datasets attest written names, not every origin or lineage claim on this page.
This page includes automatically organized material. Check the references and original family documents.
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