The Yang Family Name#

Yang (pronounced: yǎng)

Distribution of the Yang Family Name#

Shanyang Commandery: Established during the Han Dynasty. The administrative center, Changyi, was located in what is now Jinxiang County, Shandong Province.

Origins of the Yang Family Name#

The Yang family name has two origins:

1. It originates from the Ji clan, descendants of Gugong Bingshu (the Great King of Zhou), who took the name of their fief as their surname. One of King Gugong's sons, Qin, moved to Wu, where he later founded the state of Wu. During the Spring and Autumn period, two princes of Wu, Yan She and Zhu Yong, rebelled and fled to Chu. The King of Chu granted them the fief of Yang (in what is now Shenqiu County, Henan Province). Their descendants settled in Yang and adopted the name of the fief as their surname.

2. The name also stems from the legendary archer Yang Youji. During the Zhou Dynasty, there was a state of Yang, which was later conquered by Chu. Yang Youji was a renowned archer of Chu. In the Battle of Yanling between Chu and Jin, King Gong of Chu was wounded in the eye by the Jin general Wei? Yang Youji was called upon to avenge his king. With a single arrow, he killed Wei? and then reported back with the remaining arrow. For this, he was known as "Yang the Single Arrow."

Ancestor of the Family Name

The ancestor of the Yang family name was Prince Wu of Chu. Yang was originally the name of a place in Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. According to "Shixing Kaolue," Yang was a fief in Chu, and later people who lived there adopted the name of the fief as their surname. The Yang family has a history of over 2,400 years, with its roots in Shenqiu County, Henan Province.

Distribution of the Yang Family#

The Yang family name does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan.

Historical Notes

• During the Zhou Dynasty, there was the state of Yang (in the southeast of Shenqiu County, Henan Province), which was later conquered by Chu. However, some of its inhabitants continued to use the Yang surname.
• Yang Youji, a famous archer of Chu, could shoot through willow leaves from a hundred steps away and even through seven layers of armor with a single arrow. During the Battle of Yanling, he saved King Gong of Chu from injury.

Common Couplets for the Yang Family Ancestral Hall

• Four-character Couplets:
  • "Historical research at one time; Shooting through willows from a hundred steps away." (Alluding to Yang Youji and Yang Fen.)
  • "An ordinary commoner appointed as an official; Shooting through armor while wearing armor." (Alluding to Yang Youji's legendary skills.)

Additional Facts about the Yang Family

• The phrase "shooting through willows from a hundred steps away" (百步穿杨) describes Yang Youji's incredible archery skills.
• The Yang family has a long history, with roots dating back to the Spring and Autumn period and the state of Chu.

The Yang family name reflects a rich cultural heritage and notable historical figures, making it a distinctive and valued surname in Chinese society.