Ling Family#

Surname: Ling, Pronunciation: líng

Distribution of the Ling Family#

Hejian County, Hebei Province; along the coast of the Bohai Bay in Liaoning Province.

Origin of the Ling Family#

The surname “Ling” originates from the Ji family, with people adopting the title of their official position as their surname. According to “Tongzhi • Shizu Lüe • Yiguan Weishi,” during the Zhou Dynasty, there was an official position called “Ling Ren” (Person in Charge of Ice Storage), which was part of the imperial court’s administrative system responsible for preserving ice. Kang Shu, a brother of King Wu of Zhou, had a descendant who served in this role for generations, and from him the Ling surname arose.

Ancestor of the Ling Family

Kang Shu is considered the founder of the Ling family. The “Xing Zuan” states, “Kang Shu’s descendant became the ‘Ling Ren’ of the Zhou Dynasty, and his descendants adopted the title of their official position as their surname.” The “Ling Ren” was an official in charge of storing ice during the summer. The Ling family traces its origins to the grandson of King Wen of Zhou; these individuals adopted the surname “Ling” because they held this official position in the Zhou court. Therefore, the descendants of the Ling family revere Kang Shu as their ancestor.

Notable People with the Ling Surname**#

• Ling Tong: Also known as Gongji, from Yuhang, he served as a general under Sun Quan. He valued wisdom and integrity over wealth and was considered a noble scholar. He was known as a “tiger general” of the regions south of the Yangtze River.
• Ling Qian: Born in 1580 and died in 1644, with the courtesy name Xuanfang and the pseudonym Chucheng, also known as Ling Bo or Xia. He was a Han Chinese from Wucheng, Zhejiang (now Wuxing Zhili Town, Huzhou, Zhejiang) during the Ming Dynasty. He was a writer, novelist, and book printer. His works, “Chu Ke Pai An Jing Qi” and “Er Ke Pai An Jing Qi,” along with Feng Menglong’s “Gu Jin Xiao Shuo” (Yushi Mingyan), “Jing Shi Tong Yan,” and “Xing Shi Heng Yan,” are collectively known as the “Three Words and Two Slaps,” representing the pinnacle of classical Chinese short stories. He also wrote nine plays, including “Qiu Ran Weng,” “Dian Dao Yin Yuan,” and “Bei Hong Fu.”