The Cao Clan#

Surname: Cao, pronounced as “cáo”

Distribution of the Cao Clan#

• Jiaojun in Anhui
• Pengchengjun in Jiangsu
• Gaopingjun in Shandong
• Juyejun in Shandong
• Qiaojun: Established in the late Eastern Han Dynasty from Peijun. Its administrative center was in Bozhou (present-day Bo County, Anhui Province). Its jurisdiction covered the areas of Lingbi, Mengcheng, Taihe, Luyi, and Yongcheng in what are now Anhui and Henan provinces.
• Pengchengjun: Established during the Western Han Dynasty and later converted into the state of Pengcheng during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Its administrative center was in Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province). Its jurisdiction roughly included present-day Weishan County in Shandong Province, as well as parts of Xuzhou and Pei County in Jiangsu Province.
• Gaopingjun: Established during the Jin Dynasty, with its administrative center in present-day Jinxian, Shandong Province. Its jurisdiction corresponded to the areas around Dushan Lake, Jinxian, Juye, and Zou in Shandong Province. There have been multiple changes to its boundaries over time.
• Juye County: Established during the Han Dynasty, located in the southwestern part of present-day Shandong Province, on the north bank of the Wanfu River. Juye County was named after the ancient Danye Marsh.

Origins of the Cao Clan#

There are six main origins of the Cao surname:

1. Receiving the title of Cao as an official position: During the time of Yu the Great's water control efforts, Lu Zhong’s fifth son (some say sixth son), An Zheng, was granted the title of Cao for his contributions to the project. The role of “Cao Guan” involved overseeing slaves, which was an important position in the slave-owning society. An Zheng later adopted the surname Cao.
2. Being enfeoffed in the state of Cao: Descendants of Emperor Zhuanxu, one of whom had a grandson named Wu Hui who served as the fire official during the reign of Emperor Ku. Wu Hui’s son, Lu Zhong, married a woman from the Guifang tribe and had six sons, one of whom was named An and was granted the state of Cao. During the Zhou Dynasty, King Wu re-enfeoffed a descendant of Cao An in the state of Zhu (present-day southeast of Qufu, Shandong Province). After the fall of the state of Zhu to King Xuan of Chu during the Warring States period, some members of the Zhu clan adopted the surname Cao, while others continued with their original surname.
3. Deriving from the Ji surname: After King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang Dynasty, he enfeoffed Cao Jie in the state of Zhu. Later, Cao Jie’s brother, Zhen Duo, was granted the state of Cao (present-day Shandong Province). The state of Cao was conquered by Duke Jing of Song in 487 BCE, and Zhen Duo’s descendants adopted the state name as their surname.
4. Descendants of the Yellow Emperor: The Cao clan is also said to be descendants of the Yellow Emperor, having migrated south from Shandong.
5. Surnames changing from others to Cao: During the Han Dynasty, there were several instances of surname changes. For example, Cao Song (father of Cao Cao) originally had the surname Xiahou but later changed to Cao.
6. Minority groups with the Cao surname: This includes Cao clans from the Xiongnu, Manchu, Mongol, Tibetan, Yao, Achang, and Blang ethnic groups.

Migration and Distribution#

• During the Pre-Qin period, the Cao clan was mainly active in Gansu, Shandong, and northern Jiangsu.
• By the Qin and Han dynasties, the Cao clan had spread to regions north of the Yangtze River and East China.
• There were two major migrations to the south during the early and late Tang dynasties, with the Cao clan entering Fujian.
• The Cao clan also reached Guangdong and Guangxi during the late Tang and early Song dynasties.
• In the early Qing Dynasty, the Cao clan began to settle in Taiwan.
• During the Song Dynasty, there were approximately 630,000 people with the Cao surname, accounting for 0.81% of the national population, with Hebei being the province with the largest Cao population (41.4%).
• The Cao clan was primarily concentrated in Hebei and Henan, with smaller populations in Anhui, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang.
• During the Ming Dynasty, the Cao clan’s population decreased significantly due to continuous wars in the north. By the Ming Dynasty, Jiangsu became the province with the largest Cao population (19.3%).

Contemporary Population#

The Cao clan now has a population of over 7.3 million, making it the 27th most common surname in China, accounting for approximately 0.59% of the national population. It is mainly concentrated in Henan, Hebei, and Sichuan, with additional populations in Jiangsu, Anhui, and Hubei.

Hall Names of the Cao Clan#

• Qingjing Hall (also known as “Wuwei Hall”): Cao Shen of the Western Han Dynasty succeeded Xiao He as prime minister, continuing Xiao He’s policies of light taxation and minimal intervention in governance. The people praised him, saying, “Under his rule, the country was peaceful and the people were at ease.”
• Other hall names of the Cao clan include Qiaoguo Hall, Jingsi Hall, Chongxiao Hall, Ningshou Hall, and Wuwei Hall.

Characteristics of the Cao Clan#

• The Cao clan has produced many notable individuals, ranging from officials and generals to scholars and poets, such as Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms period and Cao Xueqin of the Qing Dynasty.
• The Cao clan’s genealogy follows a well-organized system that reflects values of loyalty to the country, diligence, and scholarship.
• For example, the genealogy of the Jiangsu Cao branch states: “Spring’s virtue brings blessings; goodness and fortune bring glory.”

Notable Figures of the Cao Clan

• Cao Shen: A general and minister of the Western Han Dynasty who succeeded Xiao He as prime minister.
• Cao Xueqin: The author of “Dream of the Red Chamber,” who died before completing the novel.
• Cao Wei: A famous politician, military strategist, and poet of the Three Kingdoms period.
• Cao Pi: The founder of the state of Wei and a prominent figure in Chinese literature.
• Cao Zhi: A renowned poet of the Three Kingdoms period.

The Cao clan has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with a significant presence throughout China and various ethnic groups.