Yu Surname

Surname Overview

Yu is a currently relatively common surname, pronounced yǔ; it ranks 107th in the Song edition of the Hundred Family Surnames and 305th in the 2013 population statistics.

Reference: 禹姓_禹姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Origins

Main Origins

One branch of the Yu surname derives from the Si surname, with descendants of Xia Yu adopting their ancestor’s posthumous title as their surname; another derives from the vassal state of Yu in the Spring and Autumn period, whose descendants later removed the “邑” component and became Yu.

Reference: 禹姓_禹姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Historical Records

Documentary and Ethnic Records

The Clan Records in the Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi both record the Yu surname; it is found among the Han, Hui, Xian, and other ethnic groups.

Reference: 禹姓_禹姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commanderies and Hall Names

The Yu surname has the commanderies of Longxi and Langya; its hall names include Langya Hall, Longxi Hall, also called Longyou Hall, Shiqi Hall, Xiyin Hall, and Dunsu Hall.

Reference: 禹姓_禹姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Migration and Distribution

Genealogies record that Taibai, the founding migrant ancestor of one Shaodong branch, moved from Taihe in Jiangxi to central Hunan during the Xianning era of the Western Jin; Wenzheng, the founding migrant ancestor of one Xingyang branch, moved from Yuyao in Zhejiang to Sishui in Henan during the Xuande era of the Ming. The Yu surname is also distributed in Jiangsu, Gansu, Hunan, Henan, Yunnan, Shandong, Sichuan, Hubei, and other places, as well as Danyang County in Korea.

Reference: 禹姓_禹姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Notable People

Historical Figures

Historical figures of the Yu surname include Yu Xian of the Jin dynasty, Yu Xiang of the Ming dynasty, the Qing painter Yu Zhiding, and the modern Hunan figure Yu Zhimo.

Reference: 禹姓_禹姓的来源和历史_百家姓