The Shangguan Family Name#

Family Name: Shangguan, pronounced: shàng guān

Distribution of the Shangguan Family Name#

Tianshui Commandery: Established during the Western Han Dynasty. This corresponds to the areas of Tianshui and Longxi in Gansu Province, as well as the regions to the east of them.

Origin of the Shangguan Family Name#

The origin of the Shangguan family name is quite simple. One theory suggests that it stems from the Mi surname. During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a high-ranking official named Shangguan in the state of Chu. Later, his descendants adopted the name of the place where he was appointed as their surname. Specifically, King Huai of Chu granted his younger son, Zilan, the title of "Lord of Shangguan" (located southeast of present-day Huaxian County, Henan Province). Zilan's descendants then took this place name as their family name.

Ancestor of the Family Name

The ancestor of the Shangguan family is Zilan. During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a region in the state of Chu named Shangguan, situated in the southeast of present-day Huaxian County, Henan. King Zhuang of Chu appointed Zilan as a high-ranking official. Zilan's descendants lived in this area and later adopted the name of the place as their surname.

Migration and Distribution

The Shangguan family name does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. It originated from the Mi surname and is a compound surname derived from an official title. According to records in the "Yuanhe Xing Zuan" and the "Tang Shu: Zai Xiang Shi Xi Table," the ancestor of the Shangguan family was Zilan, the younger son of King Zhuang of Chu. Zilan held the position of "Lord of Shangguan," and his descendants took this title as their surname. Another theory suggests that "Shangguan" refers to a specific place located southeast of present-day Huaxian County, Henan. The nobles from this region adopted the name of their fief as their surname. After the Qin Dynasty conquered the other six states, many noble families from Chu were relocated to Guanzhong, and the Shangguan family was moved to Shanggui in Longxi. According to the "Tang Shu: Zai Xiang Shi Xi Table," during the Han Dynasty, the government ordered the relocation of many prominent families to Guanzhong to increase its population; the Shangguan family was among those moved to Shanggui in Longxi, which is now Tianshui, Gansu Province. This is why the Shangguan family became a prominent clan in Tianshui. By the Tang Dynasty, the Shangguan family had already become established in the Henan region of the Central Plains, particularly in Shanzhou. For example, the literary figure Shangguan Yi from the Tang Dynasty was from Shanzhou. During the turmoil at the end of the Tang Dynasty, many people from the Central Plains migrated south, and the Shangguan family also moved to Shaowu in Fujian, where they thrived. Notable figures from the Shangguan family include the talented woman Shangguan Wan'er from the Tang Dynasty.

Notable People with the Shangguan Surname

Shangguan Wan'er: The granddaughter of Shangguan Yi. Shangguan Yi and his son were killed for opposing the rule of Empress Wu Zetian, and Wan'er was taken into the imperial court along with her mother. Wan'er was intelligent and skilled in administrative affairs; she was favored by Empress Wu and appointed as a court official. She began drafting imperial edicts at the age of 14. After Emperor Zhongzong of Tang ascended the throne, she was promoted to the rank of Zhao Rong and was in charge of literature and music. She wrote poems for the empress and princesses. She was executed at the age of 46 after Empress Wei failed in her power struggle.