The Kong Family Name#

Family name: Kong, pronunciation: kǒng

Regions Where the Kong Family Name Is Common#

The main regions associated with the Kong family name include Lu Jun, Jingzhao Jun, Henan Jun, and Kuaiji Jun.

1. Lu Jun: Established in the early Western Han Dynasty from the former Qin Jun, it corresponds to the areas of present-day Qufu and Teng County in Shandong Province, as well as the Sishui region. During the Wei and Jin dynasties of the Three Kingdoms period, it was renamed Jingzhao Yin. Because this area was part of the imperial domain, it was not referred to as a regular jun (administrative division). Its territory roughly encompasses the areas north of the Qinling Mountains, east of Xi'an, and south of the Wei River in Shaanxi Province.
2. Henan Jun: Established by Emperor Gaozu of Han from the Qin's Three Chuan region. It roughly corresponds to the area south of the Yellow River, downstream of the Luo River, and upstream of the Jialu River in present-day Henan Province, as well as the Yuanyang County north of the Yellow River.
3. Kuaiji Jun: Established in the 25th year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's reign. Its territory includes the areas south of the Yangtze River in present-day Jiangsu Province, north of the Xianxia Ling, Niutou Mountain, and Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang Province, as well as the areas east of the Shuiyang River and Xin'an River in Anhui Province.

Origins of the Kong Family Name#

The origin of the "Kong" family name can be traced back to different lines of descent:

1. Some descendants derived their name from the "Zi" family name, adopting the title "Wangfu" as their surname. According to the "Records of the Grand Historian: The Family of Confucius," Confucius was a descendant of the Song Weizi lineage. Confucius' lineage included Song Xianggong Fufu He, who gave birth to Song Fuzhou, who in turn gave birth to Sheng, who gave birth to Zhengkaofu, and Zhengkaofu gave birth to Kongfujia. After five generations, they became a separate noble lineage, adopting the surname Kong. Kongfujia had a son named Mujinfu, who had a son named Yi, and Yi's son was Fangshu. Fangshu, fearing persecution by the Hua family, fled to the state of Lu. His uncle, Shuliang He, had a son named Kong Qiu.
2. Some descendants originated from the "Ji" family name. During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a man named Kong Kui in the state of Wei who adopted the title "Wangfu" as his surname, leading to the emergence of the Kong family name within the Ji lineage.
3. Some descendants came from the "Gui" family name. During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a man named Kong Ning in the state of Chen who also adopted the title "Wangfu" as his surname, leading to the emergence of the Kong family name within the Gui lineage.
4. According to the "Zuo Zhuan," a descendant of Duke Mu of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period named Kong Zhang also adopted the title "Wangfu" as his surname, resulting in the Kong family name within the Ji lineage of the state of Zheng.
5. Additionally, according to the "Xing Kao" and other texts, there was a Kong family line in the state of Wei (located east of present-day Huaxian County, Henan Province) that descended from the ancient Ji family name.

The Kong family name ranks 72nd among the most common surnames in China, with a significant population, accounting for approximately 0.29% of the total Han Chinese population.

Hall Names

The Kong family has two hall names: "Que Li Tang" and "Zhi Sheng Tang." Both halls are named in honor of Confucius. Confucius was born in Que Li and is revered as the "Great Sage and Supreme Saint" in history.

Expansion of the Family

The Kong family's lineage has been well-documented and revered as the "Number One Family in the World" and the "Number One Family of Confucianism." Throughout history, the Kong family has enjoyed special social and economic privileges. There has always been a saying that "all Kong family members across the world are one family." The Kong family has continued to thrive, initially splitting into "five branches" and later into "twenty branches." By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the family had grown to 60 households. The "List of the 60 Households" from the 10th year of the Jiaqing reign listed the names of these 60 households. When the "Genealogy of the Family of Confucius" was compiled in the 10th year of the Qianlong reign (1745), the number of recorded family members was around 20,000.

Notable People with the Kong Family Name

• Confucius (551–479 BCE): Also known as Kong Qiu and styled Zhongni, he was a representative of Eastern culture and the founder of Confucian thought. Born in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius was a man of great virtue. He studied various subjects and is said to have sought advice on rituals from Lao Dan (the founder of Taoism) and learned music from Shi Xiang. He served as the Minister of Justice in Lu, which led to great prosperity for the state. After traveling through various states for thirteen years without being appointed to a high position, he returned to Lu in his sixties and devoted his later years to organizing ancient classics. He had three thousand disciples, among whom seventy-two were skilled in the six arts. He pioneered education for commoners and is revered as the Supreme Sage and Teacher. Unfortunately, his teachings were later exploited by the rulers of the Chinese empire to control the people's thoughts, significantly influencing the development of the empire.
• Kong Rong (153–208 CE): Styled Wenju, he was from Qufu during the Eastern Han Dynasty and a 20th-generation descendant of Confucius. He was a talented scholar and one of the "Seven Scholars of Jian'an." During the reign of Emperor Xian of Han, he served as the Minister of Beihai. He established schools to promote Confucianism and was later killed by Cao Cao.
• Kong Xiangxi (1880–1967): Styled Yongzhi, he was from Taigu, Shanxi Province. He studied at Yale University in the United States and held various positions in the Nationalist government, including Minister of Finance (the wealthiest person in China at the time), President of the Executive Yuan, and President of the Central Bank.