Surname Overview
Two Main Origins
The Yu surname mainly has two origins: the Si surname and the Kui surname.
Yu Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 5,680,166Yu / Yu
Origins
Youyu and the Yu Surname
Among the states enfeoffed after Yu the Great was Youyu, also written Youyu with the character 由; it gave rise to the Yu surname. In the Spring and Autumn period, Youyu's descendants also formed the surnames Youyu, You, and Yu from his name.
Historical Records
Early Textual Attestation
In the Eastern Han, Ying Shao's Fengsu Tongyi described the Yu surname as descending from Youyu of Qin. The Qin Annals in the Shiji records that Youyu's ancestors were from Jin, fled to the Rong region amid disorder, and that Youyu later served there.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Hall Name and Genealogical Example
The Jingjiang Yu Genealogy bears the hall name Yongyan Tang. It records that its founding ancestor, Yu Shun, lived in Jingkou; Yu Wensheng established the eastern branch, while Yu Jiang and Yu Hai established the western branch.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Migration and Distribution
The Yu surname was initially active around Sichuan and Shaanxi. After the Qin and Han periods, it moved east into Henan and then the Jianghuai region, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. During the Tang and Song periods it had spread throughout the Yangtze basin, with especially rapid growth in Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Hubei.
Research Notes
Limits of Origin Identification
The state of Youyu may have survived until the end of the Shang dynasty. Youyu may have been descended from Yu the Great or may have belonged to the Liuyu group of the Red Di; the latter is considered more likely.
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