The Jiage Family#

Family Name: Jiage (pronounced: jiá gǔ)

Distribution of the Jiage Family#

• Fucheng: Also known as ancient Fuzhou. After the Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, the administrative system of “jun” (a Chinese administrative division) was abolished in China. Fucheng during the Jin dynasty was equivalent to Fuzhou, with its administrative center located in Zhangbei (now Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province). The territory it governed included the area around present-day Zhangbei County, Hebei Province.

Origin of the Jiage Family Name#

The Jiage family name originates from the Jurchen tribe, specifically the Jiagu tribe during the Jin dynasty. It is a surname derived from the name of a tribal group that was sinicized. According to the historical record “Xing Shu Kao Lüe,” the Jiage surname originated from the ancient Jiagu tribe of the Jurchen people and was later sinicized and transliterated as “Jiage.”

Ancestor of the Family Name

The ancestor of the Jiage family was from the Jurchen people. As recorded in “Xing Shu Kao Lüe,” this compound surname originated from the Jiagu tribe of the Jin dynasty and was later mispronounced as “Jiage.”

Migration and Distribution

Although the Jiage family name is ancient, it does not rank among the top 300 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan Province. In the Song dynasty’s version of the “Hundred Family Surnames,” it was ranked 455th. Historically, minority groups such as the Jurchen people had the “Jiagu” tribe, which was sometimes transliterated as “Guarjia” and later mistakenly changed to “Jiage.” They adopted the name of their tribe as their surname. During the Song dynasty, the Jurchen people established the Jin dynasty, which coexisted with the Song dynasty. The Jiage surname became prominent during the Jin dynasty. Today, there are still members of the Jiage family living in places like Shanghai and Shenyang.

Hall Names

• Fuzhou Hall: Established based on the ancestral ties to Fucheng (also known as Fucheng Hall).

Notable People with the Jiage Surname**#

• Jiage Heng: Real name Ali Bu, from the Santumu Meng’an Yidabamouke tribe in western Shandong. He was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations during the Jin dynasty and served as a professor in Dongping Prefecture. He was later appointed to various positions, including editor in the National History Institute and was highly esteemed by Emperor Shizong. During the Cheng’an era, he was promoted to Vice Minister of State.
• Jiage Ji: Official from Zanhuang during the Jin dynasty.
• Jiage Xienu: A brave general who defeated Song troops at Dayu and later became a high-ranking military official.
• Jiage Qingchen: Real name Abusha, from the Huligai Lu Huandu tribe. He was known for his physical strength and skills in horseback riding and archery and eventually became the Prime Minister of the Jin dynasty.
• Jiage Wulibu: A military leader from the Boten tribe of the Jin dynasty. He earned numerous military achievements and was granted the title of Duke of Rui, living to the age of 105.

The Jiage family has a relatively short history of only over 800 years, making it one of the shortest-lived surnames in Chinese history. Descendants of the Jiage family consider the Jurchen people to be their ancestral origin.