Ancient Surnames#

Surname: Gu (pronounced: gǔ)

Distribution of the Ancient Surname#

Xin'an Jun: The Xin'an County was established during the Qin Dynasty; its original location is within the territory of present-day Chuchi. It belonged to the Hongnong Jun during the Han Dynasty. At the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Dongyuan County was separated from it. During the Northern Zhou Dynasty's Baoding period, Zhongzhou was established, but it was abolished later and Xin'an Jun was re-established. In the Sui Dynasty's Kaihuang era, the county was renamed Gu Zhou. Later, Gu Zhou and Xin'an Jun alternated in name. At the beginning of the Daye era, Dongyuan was incorporated into Xin'an. During the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan era, the administrative center was moved to the present location of Xin'an, and it has remained unchanged since then.

Xinping Jun: At the end of the Sui Dynasty, Xinping Jun was established from the northern part of Beidi Jun. In the first year of the Wude era, it was renamed Bing Zhou. In the 23rd year of the Kaiyuan era (735 AD), it was renamed ? Zhou, and later it was once again renamed Xinping Jun. The administrative center was located in Xinping (present-day Bin County, Shaanxi Province). It governed four counties: Xinping, Sanshui, Yongshou, and Yilu. The jurisdiction roughly corresponded to the areas of present-day Bin County, Changwu, Xunyi, and Yongshou in Shaanxi Province.

Henei Jun: This jun was established during the Chu-Han period. Its territory corresponded to the area north of the Yellow River and west of the Jinghan Railway in present-day Henan Province. During the Western Jin Dynasty, the administrative center was moved to Yewang (around present-day Qinyang, Henan Province).

Origins of the Ancient Surname#

There are four theories regarding the origin of the Gu surname:

1. From the Ji surname: Descendants of Gu Gongfu, an ancestor of the Zhou clan, adopted the surname Gu. According to the "Fengsu Tong," the Gu family trace their ancestry back to Gu Gongfu. Gu Gongfu was posthumously honored as the "Great King" by King Wu of Zhou, and his descendants took Gu as their surname.
2. From a high-ranking official in the Zhou Dynasty: A high-ranking official was granted a fief in Kucheng and adopted the name of the city as his surname. According to the "Qianfu Lun," this official's descendants modified the name from "Kucheng" to Gu.
3. From the Xianbei tribe during the Northern and Southern Dynasties: The Xianbei tribe's Tuxi clan adopted the Gu surname. As recorded in the "Wei Shu·Guan Shi Zhi," the Tuxi clan changed their surname to Gu after entering the Central Plains and assimilating with Han culture.
4. Among the Hui ethnic group: The Gu surname also exists among the Hui people. It is believed to have originated from someone named Gudu Baiding, who entered China during the early Tang Dynasty. In the 14th year of the Tianbao era (755 AD), he held the rank of general. According to retired teacher Gucheng Hou from Yangzhou Middle School in Jiangsu, Gudu Baiding's ancestors originally lived in Xin'an Jun (the area around present-day Xin'an River in Anhui Province and Qimen, Jiangxi Province) and moved to Yangzhou during the Northern Song Dynasty. The "Yangzhou Fu Zhi" mentions this. The Gu family had a genealogy that spanned 33 generations before it was destroyed in a war. During the Ming Dynasty, there was also a Hui family in Yangzhou named "Gu Hui Hui."

Patriarch of the Surname: The patriarch of the Gu surname is Gu Gongfu.

Migration and Distribution: The Gu surname did not rank among the top 100 most common surnames on the Chinese mainland. In Taiwan, it is ranked 75th. The Zhou people originally lived in the area of present-day Wugong County, Shaanxi Province, but they were frequently attacked by surrounding nomadic tribes, leading to constant turmoil. Gu Gongfu, the 12th-generation descendant of Hou Ji (an ancestor of King Wu of Zhou), led the people to settle in Qishan. He promoted agriculture, built strong city walls and palaces, and helped the Zhou state grow in strength. His descendants adopted his title as their surname in memory of him. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, some members of the Tuxi clan also changed their surname to Gu. In Taiwan, the Gu surname is most prevalent in areas such as Hsinchu and Miaoli, often in communities where several families live together. The Hui people with the Gu surname are mainly distributed in Jiangsu and Henan provinces, as well as in other regions (see "The Great Dictionary of the Hui People in China").

The Gu surname has a rich cultural heritage and historical significance.