Surname Overview
Form and Distribution
Zou (鄒), pronounced zōu, is a relatively common surname with a broad distribution among multiple ethnic groups.
Zou Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 3,616,673Zou / Tsou
Origins
Two Origins
The Zou surname has two principal origins: one from the Zi lineage, formed in the Spring and Autumn period from Song official Zheng Kaofu's fief at Zou; the other from the Cao lineage, taking Zou as a surname in the Warring States period.
Historical Records
Documentary Record
The Gujin xingshi shu bianzhen records that the Zou lineage descended from Zheng Kaofu of Song, with a branch taking Zou as its surname after receiving Zou as a fief.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Fanyang Hall
One Zou branch moved from present-day Shandong to Fanyang during the Qin and Han periods. After the Western Han figure Zou Zhongjun, it became a prominent lineage, giving rise to the Fanyang Hall name; Fanyang Hall is the general hall name for Zou lineages derived from a fief or state.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Migration
Before the Qin dynasty, Zou activity was concentrated in Shandong. After the Qin and Han periods it spread to Henan and Hubei; during the Three Kingdoms and Western and Eastern Jin periods it reached Shaanxi and crossed the Yangtze into Hunan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Anhui. During the Tang dynasty, the main population moved into Jiangnan, with growth in Fujian and Guangdong; in the early Qing period it entered Taiwan.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Historical figures include Zou Yan and Zou Ji in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and Zou Yang in the Western Han. Zou Yan was a Qi thinker and Yin-Yang scholar; Zou Ji served as chancellor to King Wei of Qi; Zou Yang was a Western Han essayist and tutor to a feudal prince.
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