The Chanyu Clan#

Clan Name: Chanyu, Pronunciation: chán yú

Regions Where the Chanyu Clan Is Found#

• Qiancheng Commandery: During the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Qi had a fiefdom named Qiancheng, which was named after Prince Jing of Qi’s hunting activities in the area of Qingtian. The commandery was established during the Western Han Dynasty, with its administrative center located in Le'an (25 miles north of present-day Gaoyuan County, Shandong Province). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was reorganized into the state of Le'an.
• Shuofang Commandery: During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Wei Qing conquered the Xiongnu and acquired territories in the Henan region, leading to the establishment of the Shuofang Commandery, which governed the northwestern part of the Hetao area and the Hou Tao region. The administrative center of the commandery was located in Shuofang County (north of present-day Hangjin Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Shuofang County was abolished, and the administrative center was moved to Linrong (north of present-day Dengkou).

Origin of the Chanyu Clan#

The origin of the Chanyu clan is quite straightforward. It stems from the royal lineage of the Xiongnu people, where the highest leader was referred to by this title. Historically, the supreme leader of the Xiongnu was called “Chengli Gutu Chanyu” (the meaning of the name is “the emperor’s vastness”), signifying that the leader’s authority was divinely granted, and they were deserving of the emperor’s immense respect and power. Descendants of this leader adopted the surname “Chanyu.”

Ancestral Founder of the Clan According to records in “Xi Shu Xun Yuan” (Searching for the Origins of Surnames) and the “Han Shu · Xiongnu Zhuan” (Biography of the Xiongnu in the History of the Han Dynasty), the Chanyu clan originated from the Xiongnu, an ethnic minority. The supreme ruler of the Xiongnu was known as “Chengli Gutu Chanyu,” and the name of the state was derived from this title. In the Xiongnu language, “Chengli” means “heaven,” “Gutu” means “son,” and “Chanyu” means “vastness.” Naturally, descendants of this great leader adopted the surname “Chanyu.”

Migration and Distribution The Chanyu clan has not made it into the top 100 surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. It appeared during the Later Zhou Dynasty and has a history of over 1,000 years. During the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu tribes frequently engaged in economic, cultural, and diplomatic exchanges with the Han people, which led to the introduction of the Chanyu surname into the Central Plains. Additionally, when the Left Virtuous King surrendered to the Han Dynasty, he continued to use the Han surname. Over time, many members of the Chanyu clan simplified their surname to “Shan.” The pronunciation of the surname also changed from “Chanyu” (pronounced “chán yú”) to “Shan” (pronounced “shàn”). The Chanyu clan is still prevalent today, mainly in areas such as Licheng and Yidu in Shandong Province and Hubei Province. There have always been many families with the Chanyu surname, which may be the reason for its inclusion in the Song Dynasty version of the “Hundred Family Surnames.” The influential families of the Chanyu clan were originally located in the Qiancheng Commandery (around present-day Gaoyuan County, Shandong Province).

Hall Names (Tang Hao)
“Yu Min Tang” (Hall of Governing the People): In ancient times, the leaders of northern ethnic minorities were called Chanyus, meaning they governed the people of their regions.