The Hua Clan#

Surname: Hua, pronounced as “huà”.

Distribution of the Hua Clan#

1. Pingyuan Commandery: Established during the Han Dynasty, with its administrative center in Pingyuan (the ancient city is located southwest of present-day Pingyuan County, Shandong).
2. Wuling Commandery: Also established during the Han Dynasty, with its administrative center in Yiling (the ancient city is south of present-day Xupu, Hunan).
3. Peiguo: Known as Peijun during the Western Han Dynasty and Peiguo during the Eastern Han Dynasty; its administrative center was in Xiang County (the ancient city is northwest of present-day Suixi County, Anhui).

Origins of the Hua Clan#

The origin of the Hua surname can be traced to three different sources:

1. From the Zi surname: According to records in “Mingxian Shizú Yánxíng Lèigǎo”, “Gǔjīn Xìngmì Shū Biànzhèn”, “Guǎngyùn”, and “Cíyuán”, Dai Gongzi Zhengkaofu of the Song Dynasty had a son named Dufu, who was also named Huafu. Dufu served as the Prime Minister of Song and killed the ruler Shanggong and the high-ranking official Kongfu. He bribed the states of Qi, Qin, Lu, and Zheng but failed to get them to take action against him. Consequently, he declared himself the Hua clan. In ancient times, it was rare for a person to be granted a surname at birth; Dufu was the first to do so out of a momentary mistake, and later generations followed his example. Another theory suggests that Dufu’s family took the name from the place “Hua” where they lived (the ancient city is north of present-day Xinzheng, Henan).
2. From the Si surname: According to “Xìngmì Kàolüè”, Zhongkang of the Xia Dynasty was granted the fief of Hua.
3. From other clans: Some members of the Manchu Eight Banners during the Qing Dynasty adopted the Hua surname; leaders of indigenous tribes in the Lingyi region also changed their surnames during the Qing Dynasty. For example, the Xibe tribe's Hua Xihar clan adopted the Han surname Hua. This surname is also found among the Manchu, Mongolian, and Hui ethnic groups today.

Ancestor of the Hua Clan The ancestor of the Hua clan is Hua Dufu (also written as Hua Fufu Dufu). Some say his courtesy name was Huafu. He was a native of the state of Song during the Spring and Autumn Period and a grandson of Duke Dai of Song. In 710 BC, as Prime Minister, Hua Dufu killed the high-ranking official Kongfu Jia, took his wife for himself, and then killed Duke Shanggong of Song and installed Prince Feng as the new ruler, proclaiming himself Prime Minister. Later generations adopted the Hua surname in his honor.

Spread of the Hua Clan The capital of the ancient state of Song was in present-day Shangqiu, Henan, so it is reasonable to believe that the Hua clan originated there. Since Hua Dufu, the Hua clan has been prominent and influential throughout history. During the Spring and Autumn Period, nearly twenty individuals with the Hua surname are mentioned in historical records. As stated in “Zuo Zhuan • Zhengyi”, “Dufu’s son Jia gave birth to Jialao, who in turn gave birth to Simu Zheng, and Zheng gave birth to Simu Xi.” This branch of the Hua clan descended directly from Hua Dufu. Another notable figure was Hua Yuan, a famous general whose father, Hua Yu, served as the Minister of Justice in Song. This period marked the peak of the Hua clan’s development. However, internal conflicts within the clan led to its decline after 522 BC. Some members fled to Chu, while others went to Wu. During the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties, the Hua clan spread to regions such as Chu (present-day Jiangling, Hubei), Wu (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu), and Wei (present-day Qi County, Henan).

Han Dynasty and Beyond At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Hua Ji and Hua Wuhaie followed Liu Bang in his military campaigns and were granted noble titles, bringing glory to the Hua clan after a century of silence. During the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, the Hua clan became widespread in Shandong, forming powerful families particularly in the Pingyuan area. During the Xin Mang Rebellion, some Hua clan members fled to present-day Xupu, Hunan, and merged with those who had originally lived there, eventually becoming prominent in the Wuling Commandery. The Hua clan reached its peak during the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties, with the Hua Xin family in Pingyuan Commandery being particularly notable for their numerous distinguished members. During the Yongjia Rebellion, the Hua clan migrated south to present-day Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, and Anhui provinces. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Hua clan spread across China, including Taiwan, the southwest, northwest, and northeast regions.

Clan Names Common clan names include “Wuling”, “Huayue”, “Pingyuan”, and “Dunhou”.

Characteristics of the Clan

1. The Hua clan has produced many famous individuals throughout history, with many shining stars in various fields. Before the Jin Dynasties, the clan was particularly prominent in the north; after the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it became prominent in the south. The “China历代人名 Dàcídiǎn” lists 87 famous Hua clan members, which is quite significant compared to other surnames that rank