Yu Surname

Surname Overview

A Rare Surname

Yu, pronounced yǔ, is a relatively rare surname in current use and is included in the surname sections of Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi.

Reference: 羽姓_羽姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Origins

Origin from Mount Yu

One lineage originated at ancient Mount Yu and adopted the name of the settlement as its surname; some local inhabitants became known as the Yu clan and passed the surname down through generations.

Reference: 羽姓_羽姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Ji-Clan Ziyu Lineage

One lineage came from the Ji clan: Hui, a son of Duke Mu of Zheng, had the courtesy name Ziyu, and his grandson Jie adopted his grandfather's courtesy name as a surname; descendants were known as the Yu clan.

Reference: 羽姓_羽姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Historical Records

Commandery and Notable Figures

The clan's commandery affiliation was Henan. Yu Yi passed the imperial examination during the Jiayou era of the Song and attained the office of Chaoyilang; Yu Guanfu of Dianbai, Guangdong, passed the examination during the Chenghua era of the Ming.

Reference: 羽姓_羽姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Migration and Distribution

Present-Day Distribution

The Yu surname is found in places including Luochuan in Shaanxi, Xinhui in Guangdong, Hejiang in Sichuan, and Taiyuan in Shanxi. Its main concentrations are in Shanxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Shandong, with Shanxi accounting for about half of the nationwide Yu-surname population.

Reference: 羽姓_羽姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Research Notes

Variant Xianbei Clan Name

A Northern Wei lineage is recorded as the Yufu clan changing its surname to Yu. Another quotation writes the clan name as Fuyu and notes that this may be an error for Yufu.

Reference: 羽姓_羽姓的来源和历史_百家姓