Zhen Surname

Surname Overview

The surname Zhen is pronounced zhēn and is relatively uncommon today. It is found among the Han and Lisu peoples and ranked 892nd in the 2018 surname list.

Reference: 《真 》姓氏_排名_起源_百家姓 - JSON中文网

Origins

Three Origins

The surname has three recorded origins: descendants of Zhen Kui adopting their ancestor's name; one of the eight Baekje surnames; and the change from Shen to Zhen by the Southern Song official Shen Dexiu to avoid Emperor Xiaozong's personal name Zhao Shen.

Reference: 《真 》姓氏_排名_起源_百家姓 - JSON中文网

Historical Records

Documentary Records

The surname appears in the Clan Summaries of the Zheng Tongzhi and Xu Tongzhi. Records also mention Zhen You and Zhen Yuanwu of the Han period, and Zhen Xianshi and Zhen Jie of the Ming period.

Reference: 《真 》姓氏_排名_起源_百家姓 - JSON中文网

Commanderies and Clan Halls

Commanderies of Origin

The surname's commanderies of origin are Shanggu and Tianshui. Shanggu corresponds roughly to northwestern Hebei today, while Tianshui corresponds roughly to the area east of Tianshui and Longxi in Gansu today.

Reference: 《真 》姓氏_排名_起源_百家姓 - JSON中文网

Migration and Distribution

Present-Day Distribution

The surname is distributed in Qidong in Jiangsu; Jiaocheng and Fenyang in Shanxi; Huainan in Anhui; Jiading in Shanghai; Taoyuan and Taipei in Taiwan; Hohhot in Inner Mongolia; and Beijing, among other places.

Reference: 《真 》姓氏_排名_起源_百家姓 - JSON中文网

Notable People

Historical Figures

Zhen Jie was a native of Pucheng, Fujian, in the Ming period. He served as a Kaifeng prefectural assistant and was praised as an “upright and incorruptible official.” Zhen Dexiu was a Southern Song official and scholar who originally bore the surname Shen before changing it to Zhen.

Reference: 《真 》姓氏_排名_起源_百家姓 - JSON中文网