The Tuoba Clan#

Surname: Tuoba, pronounced as tuò bá

Distribution of the Tuoba 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 BC) using the territory of Han that was acquired. The name Yingchuan Commandery comes from a river called the Ying River, whose upper tributaries flow through most of the area of the commandery. The administrative center was located in Yangdi (present-day Yuzhou, Henan). At that time, its jurisdiction covered a vast region including present-day Xuchang, Changge, Dengfeng, and Baofeng counties in Henan Province, as well as areas to the west of Weishi and Yancheng counties, to the south of Mi County, and to the north of Ye County and Wuyang City. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the administrative center was moved to Yingyin (present-day Xuchang, Henan) during the Wuding period of the Eastern Wei dynasty (543–550 AD), and it was later renamed Changshe County under the Northern Qi dynasty. The Yingchuan Commandery was abolished in the early Sui dynasty and later renamed Changshe again; during the Tang dynasty, Xuzhou was renamed Yingchuan Commandery.

Yanmen Commandery: Established by King Wuling of Zhao during the Warring States period, it was continued to be used by the Qin and Han dynasties. The administrative center was in Shanwu (present-day Youyu, Shanxi), and its jurisdiction included present-day Hequ, Wuzhai, Ningwu, and Dai counties in Shanxi Province.

Origin of the Tuoba Surname#

The Tuoba surname has the following origins:

1. It originates from the Ji surname, specifically from the Xianbei tribe, which was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. The Tuoba clan was a Han-style surname that resulted from a name change.
2. It comes from the Xianbei Tuoba tribe itself.
3. It resulted from a surname change, with the Li family of the Western Han dynasty changing their surname to Tuoba as a grant from an emperor.
4. It also resulted from a surname change, with a descendant of Yuan Ziguanglu Daifu of the Northern Wei dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties receiving the Tuoba surname as an imperial grant.

Founding Ancestor of the Surname: Tuoba Liwei. According to the "Weishu·Xuji," the history of the Tuoba clan began with Tuoba Mao. He was respected by both distant and nearby tribes and ruled 36 states, among 99 prominent clans, exercising great authority in the north. After five generations, during the early Eastern Han dynasty, the Tuoba clan began to migrate south. After seven generations, under Tuoba Lin, they intended to migrate again due to the harsh conditions of their homeland. However, due to old age, Tuoba Lin passed the throne to his son, Tuoba Jiefen, who led the tribe south. They encountered many difficulties in the mountains and valleys but were eventually guided by a divine creature that resembled a horse and sounded like a cow. After years of traveling, they settled in the former territory of the Xiongnu. The story of this divine creature is an early mythological legend of the Tuoba clan.

Migration and Distribution: Although the Tuoba surname is an ancient Xianbei clan name, it 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 454th. The history of the Tuoba surname dates back more than 1,600 years, with its origins in the Yingchuan and Yanmen commanderies. The Tuoba clan is not among the top 100 surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan. According to the "Weishu·Guanshi Zhi," the Tuoba clan traced its origin to Changyi, a son of the Yellow Emperor, who was granted land in the north. The name "Tuoba" comes from the local language, where "tu" meant land and "ba" meant descendants. Later, Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei changed the surname to Yuan. From then on, the Tuoba surname became a common one. Similar records can be found in the "Beishi·Weibenji" and "Tongzhi·Shizulue."

Notable Figures with the Tuoba Surname:

• Tuoba Fu: Founder of the Northern Wei dynasty (371–409 AD).
• Tuoba Si: Emperor Mingyuan of Northern Wei (392–423 AD).
• Tuoba Tao: Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei (408–452 AD), also known as Tuoba Fo.
• Tuoba Hong: Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei (471–499 AD), also known as Yuan Hong.