The Yu Clan#

Surname: Yu, Pronunciation: yù

Distribution of the Yu Clan#

The Yu clan is primarily found in Jiangxia County of Hubei Province and Nanchang County of Jiangxi Province. Over the course of its long history, the main ancestral homes (junwang) of the Yu clan have been:

• Cangwu County: Established during the Han Dynasty, its administrative center was Guangxin (now Wuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), which originally covered parts of Hunan and Guangdong provinces. During the Southern Dynasties, it only governed the area around present-day Wuzhou. In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was renamed Fengzhou and then Wuzhou.
• Nanchang County: Originally part of Yuzhang County during the Han Dynasty, it became the administrative center of Hongzhou in the Sui Dynasty, and during the Five Dynasties, Southern Tang, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, it was the administrative center of Nanchang Prefecture, all located in present-day Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province.
• Jiangxia County: Established by Emperor Gao of Han. Its jurisdiction corresponded to the area around present-day Wuhan, Hubei Province. The branch of the Yu clan in this region is descended from Yu Meng.
• Yanling County: During the Tang Dynasty, it was the administrative center of Yanzhou, named after Yan Zilin who lived there. In the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Muzhou, with its administrative center in Jiande (now northeast of Jiande City, Zhejiang Province). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was Yanzhou Prefecture. In the Republic of China, the administrative center was moved to its original location. This branch of the Yu clan is descended from Yu Yao.
• Qiantang County: Established during the Qin Dynasty as Qiantang County, located at the foot of Lingyin Mountain. Qiantang County was re-established during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. In the Sui Dynasty, it was moved to present-day Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and in the ninth year of the Kaihuang era (589 AD), it was renamed Hangzhou. During the Ming Dynasty, it was merged with Renhe County to form Hang County.
• Hedong County: ① Refers to present-day Shanxi Province. ② Established during the Qin Dynasty as Hedong County, governing the southwestern region of Jin. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the administrative center was moved to Puban (now Puzhou Town, Yongji, Shanxi Province). In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was renamed Hedong County with Puban as its administrative center. During the Ming Dynasty, Hedong County was incorporated into Puzhou. ③ During the Tang Dynasty, there was also the Hedong Circuit, and a Hedong Jiedushi (military commander) was appointed. The circuit's administrative center was in Puzhou, and the Jiedushi's office was in Taiyuan (now southwest of Taiyuan). ④ During the Song Dynasty, there was the Hedong Road.

Origins of the Yu Clan#

The Yu surname has three origins:

1. It originated from the Yu family, when a medical official named Yu Chuchu during the era of the Yellow Emperor was granted the Yu surname. According to "Xing Yuan," during the Yellow Emperor's time, there was a medical official named Yu Chuchu, who is considered the ancestor of the Yu clan. During the Southern Song Dynasty's Jianyan era (1127-1130), a descendant of the Yu family named Yu Chu was intelligent and well-learned. The emperor, impressed by his knowledge, granted him the Yu surname, and his descendants inherited it.
2. The Yu surname also originated from the Yu family, which was a noble lineage from the State of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period. According to "Tong Zhi Lue·Shi Zu Lue·Wu," the Yu surname was changed from "Yu" to "Yu" during the Western Han Dynasty. The ancestor was Yu Meng, the governor of Cangwu. Since the characters for "Yu" and "Yu" were similar in shape and pronunciation, and the character for "Yu" had four fewer strokes (in the traditional script), the surname was changed. Not all descendants of Yu Meng changed their surname during the Han Dynasty; one descendant, Yu Gui, served as the magistrate of Quqi Fu. After Yu Gui changed his surname, the "Yu" surname disappeared from usage.
3. The Yu surname also originated from the Mi family, which merged with the Yu family. According to "Tong Zhi·Shi Zu Lue," the Mi family, a branch of the Chu nobility, adopted the Yu surname after settling in Douting, Nanyang.

Ancestral Figures

• Yu Chuchu: A medical official during the Yellow Emperor's time, known for his medical skills. His deeds are recorded in books such as "Huainanzi," "Han Shi Waizhuan," and "Shuo Yuan."
• Yu Chu: A descendant of Yu Chuchu during the Southern Song Dynasty, who was intelligent and well-learned. The emperor granted him the Yu surname, and his descendants inherited it, forming different branches of the Yu clan.
• Yu Gui: A descendant of Yu Meng who changed his surname after serving as the magistrate of Quqi Fu. After his change, the "Yu" surname was no longer used.
• Yu Yao: A descendant of the Yu family during the Song Dynasty, who was granted the Yu surname by the emperor for his knowledge.

Migration and Distribution The Yu clan did not make it into the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. Its ancestors date back to the Spring and Autumn period and are said to be descendants of the nobility of the State of Zheng. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yu Meng, the governor of Cangwu, changed the surname from "Yu" to "Yu." In the