Surname Overview
The surname Yu is pronounced yú and ranks 335th in the Baijiaxing.
Yu Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 28,639Yu / Yu
Origins
Two Origins
One branch of the Yu surname arose from the Zi surname, descendants of King Tang of Shang, taking an ancestral courtesy name as the surname; another branch came from a surname change. The Xianbei general Shang Kegu of the Tang dynasty changed his name to Yu Zhide, and some of his descendants also bore the Yu surname.
Historical Records
Progenitor and Commandery
Ziyu is regarded as the founding progenitor of the Yu surname. The surname's recognized ancestral seat was Fengyi; its commandery was Yanmen, with origins in Shanxi, and its prominent clan lived in Yanmen Commandery.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Lingqu Hall
The Yu surname has Lingqu Hall as a hall name. During the Tang dynasty, the Inspector of Jingzhou, Yu Mengwei, built a forty-li stone embankment and eighteen wooden lock gates, allowing boats to pass smoothly and benefiting the people.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution
The Yu surname does not rank among the top one hundred surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan and is currently uncommon.
Notable People
Historical Figures
The Tang poet Yu Xuanji, also known as Youwei and Huilan, was from Chang'an and became a Daoist nun at Xianyiguan in Chang'an. The Tang official Yu Mengwei served as Governor of Chenzhou and directed the restoration of Lingqu.
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