Yuan Surname

Surname Overview

The surname Yuan is pronounced yuán. Its current population is approximately 270,000, ranking 271st among major surnames and accounting for about 0.02% of China's population.

Reference: 原氏百科-原氏族谱-原氏起源-原氏家谱-族谱网

Origins

Main Origins

One branch of the Yuan surname derives from the Ji surname: in the early Western Zhou, the sixteenth son of King Wen of Zhou was enfeoffed at Yuan and known as Yuan Bo. The state of Yuan was conquered by Jin during the Spring and Autumn period, after which his descendants adopted the state name as their surname.

Reference: 原姓起源分布与家谱家族

Other Origins

Texts also record branches deriving from the Zhao and Gui surnames. During the reign of Later Tang Emperor Mingzong, the foreigner Xilizhila was granted the surname Yuan and named Zhigan.

Reference: 原姓_原姓的来源和历史_百家姓

Migration and Distribution

The Yuan surname originated north of the Yellow River and long remained active in Henan, later moving east into Shandong and south into southern Henan; during the Han and Jin periods it extended westward into Gansu. In the Ming period, Shanxi was its largest provincial concentration, with substantial distribution also in Zhejiang, Henan, and Hebei.

Reference: 原姓起源分布与家谱家族