The Liangqiu Clan#

Surname: Liangqiu, pronounced: liáng qiū

Regions where the Liangqiu surname is found#

Fengyi Commandery: Established during the Qin Dynasty, the same-named administrative region of Zuo Fengyi was set up in the first year of Emperor Wu of Han’s Taichu era (104 BCE). Together with You Fufeng and Jingzhao Yi, it was known as the “Three Auxiliaries of the Capital Region.” Its jurisdiction covered the area around present-day Dali County, Shaanxi Province.

Origin of the Liangqiu surname#

The Liangqiu surname originates from the Jiang surname and traces its roots to Jiang Ju, a noble official from the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period. The surname was derived from the name of his fiefdom. According to the historical record “Shangyou Lu,” “Jiang Ju, an official of Qi, received lands in Liangqiu and adopted that as his surname.”

Progenitor of the Liangqiu surname

Liangqiu Ju is considered the progenitor of the Liangqiu clan. As recorded in the “Spring and Autumn Annals,” the Liangqiu surname originated from the name of a local district under the State of Lu during that period. Liangqiu was a district located south of Liangqiu Mountain in what is now Wuxian County, Shandong Province. After finding this place, Jiang Ju settled there, and his descendants thereafter adopted the surname Liangqiu. The Liangqiu surname has become relatively uncommon, possibly due to later instances of people changing to single surnames.

Migration and distribution

Although the Liangqiu surname is an ancient Han Chinese surname, it does not rank among the top 300 most common surnames in mainland China, and it is not found in Taiwan Province. The prominent Liangqiu clans originated from Fengyi Commandery. The Liangqiu surname has not made it into the top 100 surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan. According to “Shangyou Lu,” the Liangqiu surname originated from a local district in the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period. Liangqiu Mountain, located south of Wuxian County in Shandong Province, is still a significant landmark for the Liangqiu clan. Today, there is still a city named Liangqiu south of this mountain, which has remained well-preserved despite the passage of time. This mountainous city marks the birthplace of the Liangqiu clan, and descendants of the Liangqiu family may wish to visit it to explore their heritage. The rarity of the Liangqiu surname may be attributed to the tendency of people to change to single surnames over time.

Clan history and migration

The Liangqiu clan may be an ancient Han Chinese surname, but its population is not among the top 300 most common in mainland China. It is also absent from the list of common surnames in Taiwan Province. The prominent Liangqiu clans originated from Fengyi Commandery (present-day Xiaxian County, Shaanxi Province). The Liangqiu clan was initially active in the Shandong region and later expanded to Shaanxi, with Fengyi Commandery serving as their ancestral home. After the Tang and Song dynasties, fewer records of the Liangqiu clan appeared in historical documents. Today, there are still a few members of the Liangqiu clan in Liaoning and Shandong provinces. It was once believed that the Liangqiu clan was also present in Taiwan Province, but according to a census by the Taiwan authorities’ Ministry of Interior on February 28, 2005, the Liangqiu surname is no longer among the 533 existing compound surnames in the country.

Clan hall names

Fengyi Hall: Named after the ancestral home of the clan.

Notable individuals with the Liangqiu surname

Liangqiu He: A high-ranking official of the Western Han Dynasty and the founder of the “Liangqiu School” of Confucian philosophy.