Yu Surname

Surname Overview

A Rare Surname

Yu, pronounced yù, is a rare surname in current use and is included in both the Complete Collection of Shanxi Population Surnames and Cihai.

Reference: 毓姓_毓姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Origins

A Line Descended from Yuke

One line identifies Yuke as its founding ancestor. Yuke was a Manchu of the Bordered Blue Banner whose surname was recorded as “他他拉比”; some descendants adopted the character Yu from his personal name as their surname.

Reference: 毓(yù)姓-族谱网

Adoption by Aisin Gioro Descendants

For some descendants of the Aisin Gioro clan, Yu was originally a generational character. After the founding of the Republic, historical circumstances led them to omit Aisin Gioro and adopt Yu as their surname.

Reference: 毓氏起源_毓姓由来_爱新觉罗宗谱网

Historical Records

Early Surname Attestation

The earliest recorded reference to the Yu surname appears in the 1971 Taiwan edition of the Collection of Chinese Surnames.

Reference: 毓(yù)姓-族谱网

Migration and Distribution

Current Distribution

The Yu surname is found in Taiyuan, Shanxi; Daxin, Guangxi; Taipei, Taiwan; Beijing; and other places.

Reference: 毓姓_毓姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Additional Locations

Bearers of the Yu surname are recorded in Daxin, Guangxi; Taipei, Taiwan; and Beijing.

Reference: 毓姓_毓姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Notable People

Qing-Dynasty Figures

Qing-dynasty figures bearing the Yu surname include Yuben and Yuxian. Yuben was a sixth-generation descendant of Prince Gong Changying; Yuxian belonged to the Imperial Household Department’s Bordered Yellow Banner of the Han forces, had the courtesy name Zuochen, and held the status of imperial academy student.

Reference: 毓(yù)姓-族谱网

Research Notes

Alternative Link to the Yu Surname Written 育

An alternative view equates the surname 毓 with the surname 育 because the two characters were interchangeable in ancient usage. The idea that 毓 formed as a branch of 育 is presented only as a conjecture.

Reference: 毓姓_毓姓的来源和历史_百家姓