Surname Overview
Population Overview
The surname 祖 is pronounced zǔ. A visitor-query-based estimate places its nationwide population at about 230,000 and ranks it 308th; these figures are not national census results.
Zu Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 165,573Zu / Tsu
Origins
Zi-Lineage Origin
The surname is chiefly traced to the Zi lineage, arising when descendants of the Shang royal house adopted an ancestor's name as their surname; collateral descendants of the Shang kings Zu Jia, Zu Yi, Zu Bing, and Zu Ding are recorded as taking it.
Sinicized Branches
During the Ming period, members of the Mongolian Gegenyizhaori clan adopted Zu as a Chinese surname based on the name's meaning. The Manchu Jugiya clan later commonly adopted Zu, while Zu was also among the Chinese surnames used by the Sakda clan.
Historical Records
Early Attestations
The "Gaozong Tong Ri" section of the Book of Documents records Zu Ji admonishing the Shang king. Zu Ji is commonly treated as the founding ancestor of the surname, placing its recorded beginnings in the reign of Wu Ding.
Migration and Distribution
Historical Distribution
During the Song dynasty, the Zu population was small and concentrated mainly in Henan. By the Ming dynasty, it numbered about 37,000 and was distributed chiefly in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, and other areas.
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