The Qiu Clan#

Surname: Qiu, pronounced as “qiú”

Distribution of the Qiu Clan#

Nanyang Commandery: Established during the Qin Dynasty. The Han Dynasty continued this system, maintaining Nanyang Commandery, with its administrative center in the area of present-day Nanyang City, Henan Province. The commandery governed thirty-six counties. Due to its special political status during the Eastern Han Dynasty, it developed into a major economic and cultural center.

Pingyang Commandery: During the Three Kingdoms period, the state of Wei split off from Hedong Commandery and established its administrative center in Pingyang, which corresponds to the area south of Huoxian County in present-day Shanxi Province, including the Fen River basin and its western regions.

Origins of the Qiu Clan#

1. The Qiu surname originates from one of the “Nine Surnames,” specifically the Jiuwu family, one of the three dukes at the end of the Shang Dynasty. During the Xia Dynasty, the Jiuwu family were feudal lords. At the end of the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou killed the Jiuwu dukes, and many members of the family fled to various places, some adopting the character “ren” (person) into their surname, resulting in the Qiu surname.
2. It also comes from the Qiu Mu family, a nobleman of the State of Song during the Spring and Autumn period. According to the “Yuanhe Xing Zuan,” Qiu Mu was killed while defending Song Min Gong against Song Wan. Qiu Mu’s descendants adopted his name as their surname. This branch of the Qiu clan originated from Nanyang Commandery (the area around present-day Nanyang City, Henan Province).
3. The Qiu surname can also be traced back to the Hou family. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, a man named Hou Luoqi from Zhongshan adopted the Qiu surname after becoming the adopted son of a Qiu family member. Under Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, he was granted a high position for his services in Pingliang State and eventually became a prominent clan in the Central Plains. This branch of the Qiu clan settled in Pingyang Commandery (the area around present-day Linfen County, Shanxi Province).
4. After the fall of the Former Qin regime, Yang Ding, the son-in-law of Fu Jian, returned to the Longyou region and declared himself the Duke of Quchi. He established his own state, which lasted for seven generations, with rulers named Yang Ding, Yang Xuan, Yang Sheng, Yang Baozong, Yang Nandang, and Yang Jianyi. After the fall of the Former and Later Quchi states, Yang Mao’s descendants founded the Wudu State, Wuxing State, and Yinping State. In the second year of Emperor Jing of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (580 AD), the Yinping State was defeated by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty. After the fall of the Former and Later Quchi states, the Di people dispersed and merged with the Han and other ethnic groups. Some Di people adopted the name of their former state as their surname, such as Quchi or Chi.

Ancestor of the Surname: Qiu Mu, a nobleman of the State of Song from 3000 years ago, is recorded in the “Yuanhe Xing Zuan.” Qiu Mu’s descendants adopted the Qiu surname after the killing of the Jiuwu dukes by King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. Qiu Mu was from Nanyang, which is now part of Nanyang City, Henan Province. Therefore, the Qiu surname originated in Henan and later spread throughout China. Qiu Mu is considered a symbol of loyalty and righteousness in Chinese tradition.

Hall Names:

• Fangzheng Hall and Dehua Hall: Both names originate from Qiu Lan, who served as the head of Puting during the Eastern Han Dynasty and used virtue to influence people. When Chen Yuan’s mother complained about his son’s lack of filial piety, Qiu Lan personally went to Chen’s home to educate him, turning him into a filial son.
• Nanyang Hall: The couplet “Descended from Qiu Mu; Originated from Nanyang” reflects this hall’s name.

Migration and Distribution:
During the Song Dynasty, there were approximately 41,000 people with the Qiu surname, mainly concentrated in Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Gansu, and Sichuan, accounting for 88% of the total Qiu population. Other areas with significant populations included Jiangxi and Zhejiang. Shaanxi had the largest concentration of Qiu people, accounting for about 21% of the total. In the Ming Dynasty, there were around 88,000 Qiu people, ranking 150th among the most common surnames, with a concentration in Gansu, Shandong, Shanxi, and Zhejiang (accounting for 89% of the total Qiu population). Gansu had the highest proportion of Qiu people (about 40%).
Currently, there are approximately 290,000 people with the Qiu surname, ranking 250th among the most common surnames in China, with a population growth rate that has been increasing over the past 1000 years. The main distribution areas include Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, and Sichuan, accounting for 64% of the total Qiu population.