The Zhou Clan#

Surname: Zhou, pronounced: zhōu

Distribution of the Zhou Clan#

• Ruanan Commandery: Established during the Han Dynasty. This branch of the Zhou clan descends from Lie, the younger son of King Ping of Zhou. The founding ancestor of this line is Zhou Yong, an eighteen-generation descendant of Lie.
• Peiguo Commandery: Emperor Gao of Han renamed Sishui Commandery to Peiguo Commandery, which was later changed to Peiguo during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The administrative center was in Xiang County, located in present-day Suixi County, Anhui Province. The founding ancestor of this branch was Zhou Chang, the Marquis of Fenyin during the Han Dynasty.
• Chenliu Commandery: Established by Emperor Qin Shi Huang and renamed during the Han Dynasty. It is located in the present-day Kaifeng area of Henan Province. This branch of the Zhou clan descends from Zhou Ren during the Han Dynasty; the founding ancestor is Zhou Zhen from the Jin Dynasty.
• Xunyang Commandery: Established in the first year of Yongxing during the Western Jin Dynasty, with its administrative center in present-day Xunyang, Jiangxi Province. During the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Jiujiang Commandery and then Heyang Commandery in the first year of Tianbao (742 AD), before being reverted to Xunyang Commandery in the first year of Qianyuan (758 AD).
• Linchuan Commandery: Established by the Wu state during the Three Kingdoms period. It is located in present-day Nancheng County and Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province.
• Lujiang Commandery: Originally part of Jiujiang Commandery during the Qin Dynasty; a branch was separated to form Lujiang Commandery, located in the area north of the Yangtze River in present-day Anhui Province.
• Taishan Commandery: Established during the Western Han Dynasty, with its administrative center in present-day Tai'an County, Shandong Province.
• Huainan Commandery: Established by Emperor Gao of Han, with its administrative center in Shouchun County (present-day Shou County, Anhui Province).
• Yongan Commandery: Administrative center in Xincheng County (west of present-day Guangshan County, Henan Province).
• Hejian Commandery: Established by Emperor Gao of Han, with its administrative center in Lecheng County (southeast of present-day Xian County, Hebei Province).
• Linru Commandery: Administrative center in Liang County (present-day Linru, Henan Province).
• Huayin Commandery: Established in the first year of Tianbao during the Tang Dynasty; renamed Huazhou and later Huayin Commandery, with its administrative center in Zheng County (present-day Hua County, Shaanxi Province).
• Hedong Commandery: Established in the early Qin Dynasty, with its administrative center in Anyi (east of the Yellow River and around present-day Xia County, Shanxi Province).
• Qinghe Commandery: Established by Emperor Gao of Han, with its administrative center in Qingyang (equivalent to the area from present-day Qinghe, Hebei Province, to Linqing, Shandong Province).
• Jiangling Commandery: Established during the Han Dynasty as the capital of Nan Commandery. During the Southern Qi Dynasty, it was renamed Jiangling Commandery, with its administrative center in Jiangling (present-day Jiangling, Hubei Province).
• Chang'an Commandery: Established during the Tang Dynasty, with its administrative center in the northwest of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.
• Henan Commandery: Established by Emperor Gao of Han, with its administrative center in the northeast of present-day Luoyang, Henan Province.
• Zhaozhou Commandery: Administrative center in present-day Pingle, Guangxi.
• Wugong Commandery: Established by Duke Xiao during the Warring States period, with its administrative center east of present-day Mei County, Shaanxi Province.

Origins of the Zhou Clan#

The surname "Zhou" has multiple origins:

1. From the Ji clan: The ancestor of the Zhou clan is King Wen of Zhou. Houji, a fourth-generation descendant of the Yellow Emperor, had the surname Ji. Houji is considered the founder of the ancient Zhou tribe. After the successful eastern expeditions of the Duke of Zhou, many vassal states were established, including 53 with the Ji surname. Descendants of these states often adopted the names of their states, places, or their grandfathers as their surnames. In 256 BC, the Zhou Dynasty was conquered by the Qin Dynasty, and many members of the Zhou royal family adopted "Zhou" as their surname. This branch, descended from King Ping of Zhou, is considered the primary source of the Zhou surname in China. Another branch descended from King Nan of Zhou changed their surname from Ji to Zhou during the Tianxian period (712–713 AD) to avoid offending Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.
2. From Zhou Chang and Zhou Ren: According to the "Hetu Yunlu Fa," there was a general named Zhou Chang during the time of the Yellow Emperor, and a historian named Zhou Ren during the Shang Dynasty. Their descendants adopted "Zhou" as their surname and spread throughout regions such as Ruanan (present-day Henan and Anhui), Lujiang (present-day Anhui and Hubei), Xunyang (present-day Jiangxi), Linchuan (present-day Henan), Peiguo (present-day Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu), Taishan (present-day Shandong), and Henan.
3. From ethnic minorities: During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the second brother of Emperor Xian of the Northern Wei Dynasty changed his surname from Pu to Zhou.
4. During the Tianxian and Kaiyuan periods of the Tang Dynasty, the Ji surname was changed to Zhou to avoid offending Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.
5. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period: Descendants of Cheng You, a military governor of the Later Liang state, changed their surname from Cheng to Zhou.
6. During the late Yuan Dynasty: People with the surname Su from Quanzhou, Fujian, changed their surname to Zhou.
7. In the early Qing Dynasty: Descendants of the Prince Ji of Changsha from the Ming Dynasty changed their surname to Zhou.

Hall Names of the Zhou Clan#

The hall name "Ailian Tang" (Hall of Loving Lotus) honors Zhou Dunyi, a Neo-Confucian philosopher from the Northern Song Dynasty who was known for his integrity and love for lotuses. He compared the lotus to a gentleman who emerges from mud unsoiled and remains pure, even after being washed in clean water. His descendants adopted this name to reflect his virtues.

Notable People with the Surname Zhou#

• Zhou Yafu: A famous general of the Western Han Dynasty from Peixian (present-day Jiangsu). He was the son of Zhou Bo and initially granted the title of Marquis Tiao. During the reign of Emperor Wen, he defended against the Xiongnu and was known for his strict military discipline. He later served as Grand Commandant and Prime Minister before being imprisoned and dying of starvation for selling imperial goods.
• Zhou Yu: A renowned general of the Wu state during the Three Kingdoms period. He allied with Liu Bei to resist Cao Cao's army and defeated them at the Battle of Red Cliffs.
• Zhou Chu: A native of Shucheng, Anhui, who served as an official in the Wu state and later in the Jin Dynasty. Legends about his transformation from a villain to a good person, such as hunting tigers and slaying a dragon, are still told today.
• Zhou Dunyi: A famous philosopher of the Northern Song Dynasty who wrote the "Lianxi Shuo" (On Loving the Lotus) and was a prominent Neo-Confucian figure.
• Zhou Bangyan: A poet of the Northern Song Dynasty who contributed significantly to the development of ci poetry.
• Zhou Enlai: The first Premier of the People's Republic of China, who dedicated his life to the Party and the people.

Other Information#

• The Zhou clan has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with various branches spread across China and even overseas.