The Yu Clan#

Surname: Yu, pronounced as “yú”.

Regions where the Yu Clan is Distributed**#

Henan Province (in the Henan Commandery) and Shandong Province (in the Donghai Commandery).

Origin of the Yu Clan#

The Yu Clan ranks 28th among the most common surnames in China today, with a significant population, accounting for approximately 0.6% of the total Han population in the country.

Origin of the Surname “Yu”:

There are four origins of the Yu surname:

1. From the Ji Clan: Descendants of King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa, who adopted the name of his state as their surname. According to the “New Book of Tang: Genealogies of Prime Ministers,” after King Wu conquered the Shang Dynasty, he enfeoffed many lords. His second son, Yu Shu, was granted the state of Yu. In the early Western Zhou period, Yu Shu’s descendants adopted the name of their state as their surname. Some removed the prefix “Yu” and became simply the Yu clan, which is considered the authentic form of the Yu surname in Henan.
2. **From the ancient compound surname “Chunyu”: During the Tang Dynasty, this surname was simplified to “Yu” to avoid the name of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, Li Chun. According to historical records, the descendants of Chunyu adopted the name of their state as their surname.
3. From the Wan Ni Yu Clan of the Northern Wei Dynasty: During Emperor Xiaowen of Wei’s Sinicization reforms, this clan reverted to the original Yu surname.
4. From granted surnames or surnames adopted by ethnic minorities: For example, during the Ming Dynasty, the Yuan dynasty member Bayanda Li was granted the surname Yu; during the Qing Dynasty, some members of the Nima Ha clan in the south changed their surname to Yu. Additionally, minorities such as the Daur, Oroqen, Tu, Hui, and Goryeo also adopted the Yu surname.

Ancestor of the Surname

Yu Shu, the second son of King Wu of Zhou, was granted the state of Yu after the conquest of the Shang Dynasty. His descendants adopted the name of their state as their surname, with some eventually removing the prefix “Yu.” This branch of the Yu clan is considered the authentic form and is prevalent in Henan. Yu Shu is revered as the ancestor of the Yu clan.

Migration and Spread

The Yu clan spread primarily in the northern part of Qinyang City, Henan, which was the location of the ancient state of Yu. For a long time after the fall of the state of Yu, the clan remained within Henan Province, with settlements in Fangcheng, Wutang, Xuchang, and Funiu Mountain. During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Yu clan began to migrate to surrounding areas, including Shanxi, Hebei, Anhui, and Shandong in the north, and Shaanxi and Gansu in the west. During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, due to frequent wars, many Yu clan members migrated south to the southeast. The unification of China during the Sui and Tang dynasties led to less migration, but the clan thrived and established several prominent branches in the north. By the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Jin army captured the capital, and some Yu clan members migrated to Heilongjiang. During the late Southern Song Dynasty, the Yu clan also migrated to Zhejiang and Guangdong. After the Yuan Dynasty, peasant uprisings caused population declines in the south, but the Yu clan in Shanxi remained relatively unaffected. During the Ming Dynasty, many Yu clan members migrated to other regions, including Sichuan and Hunan. In the Qing Dynasty, the Yu clan became even more widespread across China.

Notable Personalities with the Surname “Yu”:

Yu Shensi (1531–1588), also known as Hangyin and Pangmeisheng, was a scholar from Dong’e, Shandong. He was skilled in ancient poetry and prose, and his works include “Pangmeisheng Ji” and “Collected Inscriptions on Various Books.” His work “Record of Shicong” and “Travel Notes on Jian Mountain” are renowned for their descriptions of the natural beauty of the region.

Today, the Yu clan is most numerous in Shandong Province, accounting for about 25% of the total Han population with this surname in China. Other significant populations are found in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Hunan, and Shaanxi. These six provinces together account for approximately 67% of the national Han population with the Yu surname.