The Wu Clan#

Surname: Wu, pronounced as “wū”

Distribution of the Wu Clan#

According to “Junwang Baijiaxing” (Records of the Origins of Surnames), the Wu clan originated from Yingchuan Commandery. This commandery was established during the Warring States period and was named after the Ying River, which flows through most of its territory. Yingchuan Commandery was first established in the 17th year of King Zheng of Qin (230 BCE). The name “Yingchuan” comes from the Ying River. The administrative center of the commandery was located in Yangdi (present-day Yuzhou City, Henan Province), covering an area stretching from Dengfeng and Baofeng in the east, Weishi and Zhencheng in the west, Xinmi in the south, to Ye County and Wuyang in the north. During the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the administrative center was moved to Yingyin; it was later renamed Changshe under the Northern Qi Dynasty and then back to Yingchuan during the Sui Dynasty, before finally becoming Changshe again under the Tang Dynasty (present-day Xuchang City, Henan Province). The Yingchuan Commandery was briefly abolished during the early Sui period, and during the Tang Dynasty, Xuzhou was renamed Yingchuan Commandery.

Ruanan Commandery: Established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, it covered the central and southern parts of present-day Henan Province and the area north of the Huai River in Anhui Province.

Poyang Commandery: Founded by Sun Quan at the end of the Han Dynasty, its administrative center was in Poyang County, located in present-day Jiangxi Province.

Origins of the Wu Clan#

There are four theories about the origin of the Wu surname:

1. Derived from the Ji surname: According to the “New Tang Book: Genealogies of Prime Ministers,” when Shao Hao was the leader of the Dongyi tribe, he appointed officials based on the names of birds. One of these official positions was called “Wu Niao” (Bird Wu). The clan emblem was a large bird, and those in this clan adopted the surname “Wu,” which is considered the earliest origin of the Wu surname. Shao Hao was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor.
2. From the Xirong people: In ancient times, there was a state named Wu Shi Lan in Longxi (located east of the Liupan Mountains in present-day Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region), which was a branch of the Xirong people. After being conquered by the Qin state, its people adopted the surname “Wu.” Additionally, according to the “Song Book: Records of Foreign Tribes,” during the Southern Song Dynasty, the ruler of the Anding state had the surname “Wu.”
3. From the Xianbei people: The ancient Xianbei clan’s compound surname “Wu Shi Lan” was later changed to the Han surname “Wu.” According to the “Wei Book: Records of Official Families,” during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the northern Wei dynasty had a clan with the surname “Wu Shi Lan,” which was changed to the Han surname “Wu” after entering the Central Plains. According to the “Tongzhi: Brief Records of Clans,” the surname “Wu” also originated from the name “Wu Maer.”
4. From the Hui people: The Wu surname among the Hui people mainly stems from an imperial grant by the Ming Dynasty emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. According to the “Saidianchi Family Genealogy,” Prince Xianyang was ordered to conquer Western Xia, and his victorious troops were stationed in Ningxia and Weinan. These soldiers adopted the name “Wu” as their surname. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang also granted ten other surnames to his soldiers.

Ancestor of the Wu Clan:
Shao Hao is considered the ancestor of the Wu clan. He named official positions after birds, and one of these positions was called “Wu Niao.” Shao Hao is also known as Jin Tian Shi and was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. His descendants adopted the surname “Wu.”

Hall Names:
The “Yimu Hall” was named in honor of Wu Chongyin of the Tang Dynasty, who began as a general and later became a military commander. For his contributions to suppressing rebels, he was promoted to the rank of governor and granted the title of Duke of Zhangye. After his death, more than 20 of his soldiers cut off a piece of their flesh to offer a sacrifice to him.