The Yu Clan#

Surname: Yu, pronounced as “yǔ”

Distribution of the Yu Clan#

• Yingchuan Commandery: During the Warring States period, after the state of Qin conquered the state of Han, Yingchuan Commandery was established in the 17th year of King Ying Zheng of Qin (Xinwei, 230 BCE) using the territories of Han. The administrative center was Yangzhai (present-day Yuxian, Henan Province), and its jurisdiction covered the area around Xuchang, Henan Province.
• Xinye Commandery: This corresponds to present-day Xinye County, Henan Province.
• Jiyang Commandery: It was originally a city of the state of Wei during the Warring States period and was renamed Jiyang County during the Western Han Dynasty. The administrative center was located in the northeastern part of present-day Lankao County, Henan Province.

Origins of the Yu Clan#

The Yu clan has several origins:

1. From official titles: In ancient times, during the reign of Emperor Yao, there was an official named Yu Dai (in charge of outdoor granaries). His descendants adopted this official title as their surname.
2. From the Zhou Dynasty: It is said that during the Zhou Dynasty, there was an official named Yu Lin who managed granaries, and his descendants also took his title as their surname.
3. From the Ji surname: This lineage stems from Yu Guo, a teacher of Xian Taizi, the son of Duke Gan Dao of the Zhou royal family during the Spring and Autumn period. He was a descendant of Prince Dai, son of King Hui of Zhou.
4. From the Xianbei tribe: During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Yu clan originated from the Xianbei Tuoba tribe. These people adopted the name of their tribe as their surname after assimilation. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, there were members of the Yu clan who were originally from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. They defected to the Xianbei Murong tribe and later were unified by the Northern Wei kings, forming their own tribe.

Migration and Distribution

The Yu clan is diverse in origin and includes people from various ethnic groups. Its total population does not rank among the top 300 surnames in mainland China or Taiwan Province. In the Song Dynasty’s version of the “Hundred Family Surnames,” it was ranked 343rd. The character “Yu” in ancient times referred to warehouses and transit centers for water transportation, and the officials in charge of these facilities were called “Zhangyu Daifu.” During the reign of Emperor Yao, some people inherited this position, and later, they adopted the official title as their surname.

The Yu clan has a long history and has dispersed across various provinces and cities in China over time. Ancient texts mention Cao Cao requesting General Guan Yu to read the story “Yu Gong Zhi Si Zhui Zi Zhuo Ru Zi” to avoid being killed by him. During the Han Dynasty, the Yu Pi family taught in the imperial court. Yu Sheng and his brothers defended the Hengpu Pass in Guangdong; to commemorate their achievements, the pass was renamed Dayu Ling. The Yu clan has made significant contributions to Chinese society and holds a prominent place in Chinese history. According to the “Yu Clan Records” compiled by Yu Yuliang, in the early Eastern Jin Dynasty, a famous Yu general was sent on an diplomatic mission to Goryeo, which shows the clan’s roots in that region. According to the South Korean population census on November 1, 2001, the Yu clan ranked 97th among the 286 surnames in the country, with a population of over 17,000 people.

According to China’s national census, there are approximately 50,000 people with the Yu surname, distributed across the country. Many university professors, as well as those in broadcasting, newspapers, and publications, sometimes mistakenly spell the character “Yu” as “Yu,” “Shou,” “Tang,” or “Liao.” The Xinhua Dictionary’s edition before 1972 only defined “Yu” as referring to Dayu Ling, a location on the border of Guangdong and Jiangxi provinces. After 1977, an additional note was added that it could also be a surname. Today, people with the Yu surname can be found in Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Gansu, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Yunnan, and other regions. According to the “Guangdong Yu Clan Records,” the ancestor of the Guangdong Yu clan was Yu Dong. He served in the Song Dynasty and moved to Guangdong during the Yuanfeng period of the Northern Song Dynasty, serving as the military governor of the Guangnan region. His descendants settled in Chayuan (present-day Chashan Town) and named the area Yujia Fang. Around the 25th year of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1392), the eighth-generation descendant, Yu Dexin, moved to Guyong (Chong) with his family to escape danger, and later a branch of the clan settled in Qishi Village, Xianyong.

Hall Names (Tanghao):

• Xinye Tang: Established based on ancestral heritage.
• Jiyang Tang: Established based on ancestral heritage.
• Yingchuan Tang: Established based on ancestral heritage. The earliest members of the Yingchuan Yu clan lived in Yanling, Yingchuan. The earliest verifiable ancestor was Yu Cheng from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The “Book of the Later Han · Biographies of Guo Fu and Xu” states: “Yu Cheng, styled Shiyou, was from Yanling, Yingchuan. He served as a court official in his youth. Guo Linzong recognized his potential and encouraged him to study in the imperial academy, where he became a respected scholar. Although he came from a humble background, his lectures were highly valued by his peers. Later, when summoned by the government, he refused to take