The Shè Family Name#

Shè is the family name, pronounced as “shè”.

Distribution of the Shè Family Name#

• Songyang County: During the Han Dynasty, this area belonged to Hui Pu County. In the fourth year of the Jian'an era of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Songyang County was established. In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty, a part of Songyang County was separated to form Kuocang County, named after Kuocang Mountain, which is located in present-day Suichang County, in the southeastern part of Zhejiang Province.
• Henan County: Established by Emperor Gao of the Han Dynasty, it is located in present-day Luoyang City, Henan Province.
• Kuocang County: In the first year of the Taining era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (323 AD), the eastern part of Linhai County was divided to form Yongjia County, to which Songyang County belonged. In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (589 AD), a part of Songyang County was again separated to form Kuocang County, and Yongjia County was abolished in favor of Chuzhou. In the twelfth year of the Kaihuang era, Chuzhou was renamed Kuozhou. At the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, Dongyang County was abolished and replaced by Wuzhou, which was later renamed Dongyang County again, while Kuozhou became Yongjia County. Today, the northern part of present-day Jinyun still belongs to Yongkang County under Dongyang County, and the southern part belongs to Kuocang County under Yongjia County.

Origins of the Shè Family Name#

The origin of the “Shè” name can be traced to three sources:

1. The Shè family name originated from the Shè Di clan, which later changed its name to Shè. During the Northern Zhou Dynasty, there was a family named Shè Di, which changed to Shè. According to the “Book of the Later Han,” there was a governor of Jincheng named Shè Jun. The commentary on the “Book of the Later Han” states, “Among the Qiang people, there was a family with the name Shè, pronounced ‘she’.” Wang Xianqian’s “Collected Annotations” explain that “Shè” is a colloquial form of “ku,” but it is pronounced “shè,” which is the same as “she.”
2. The name also stems from the Xianbei and Qiang tribes, where people adopted their official titles as their surnames. During the Zhou Dynasty (or possibly the Han Dynasty), there was an official position called “Shou Ku,” and later generations adopted this title as their surname. According to “Fengsu Tong,” the ancient official “Shou Ku” took this title as their surname. The “Shè” surname no longer exists today.
3. Another theory suggests that during the Northern Wei Dynasty, a person named Ku Zhanji from the Xianbei and Qiang tribes moved to the Central Plains and was influenced by Han culture, later changing their surname to Ku.

Migration and Distribution

The Shè surname is not among the top 100 most common surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan. The Shè surname, derived from an official title, can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. As recorded in “Tongzhi·Shi Zhu Lue,” people with the Shè surname already existed during that time, indicating a history of at least 2000 years. According to “Fengsu Tong,” the ancestors of the Shè surname were ancient officials named “Shou Ku,” and their descendants adopted this title as their surname. This surname spread throughout China, with its center being the Tiantai Mountains and surrounding areas in Zhejiang. Another branch of the Shè surname comes from ethnic minorities. During the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, many Xianbei people moved to the Central Plains, and families with compound surnames such as Shè Men and Shè Di changed to the single-surname Shè.

Hall Names

• Fuyi Hall: Both the Han dynasty’s Ku and Shè officials were appointed as governors of Jincheng and were granted the title of Marquis of Fuyi.

Common Couplets for the Shè Family Ancestral Hall

• Four-character couplet for the Shè family ancestral hall: “Ancestry begins with Shou Ku; Excellence flourishes in Kuocang.” – Anonymous This couplet refers to the origin of the Shè surname (see the section “Origins of the Family Name” above). “Jincheng’s heroes; Han dynasty’s symbols of wisdom.” – Anonymous This couplet mentions Ku Jun, a Han dynasty official who was governor of Jincheng and granted the title of Marquis of Fuyi, representing the outstanding figures of that era.
• Five-character couplet for the Shè family ancestral hall: “Promoted to deputy commander in the Qing dynasty; Granted the title of Marquis of Fuyi in the Han dynasty.” – Anonymous This couplet refers to a Qing dynasty official from the Zhenglan Banner of the Manchu people who was promoted to deputy commander and later became a minister of the Censorate. “Clear skies at dawn; Heat dissipates at night.” – Ku Di Lüwen, a Tang dynasty poet This couplet is a line from Ku Di Lüwen’s poem “Summer Evening Clearing.”
• Six-character couplet for the Shè family ancestral hall: “Reputation is passed down through the ages; Excellence was valued in that time.” – Anonymous This couplet refers to Ku Jun, a Han dynasty governor who was a friend of Dou Rong and was granted the title of Marquis of Fuyi.
• Seven-character couplet for the Shè family ancestral hall: “Broadly opening paths for talent; A multitude of exceptional individuals.” – Anonymous This couplet