The Mei Clan#

Surname: Mei, pronounced as “méi”

Distribution of the Mei Clan#

• Central and southern Henan
• North of the Huai River in Anhui

Origin of the Mei Clan#

The Mei clan ranks 136th among Chinese surnames, accounting for approximately 0.1% of the Han population.

Origins of the Surname “Mei”#

1. The surname originates from the Zi clan, descendants of King Tang of the Shang Dynasty. According to historical records such as “Tongzhi · Shizhu Lue” and “Tang Shu · Zaixiang Shixi Biao,” during the Shang Dynasty, King Tai Ding granted his brother a fief at Mei (located southeast of Bozhou, Anhui Province), granting him the title of Marquis (Bo Bo). During the reign of King Zhou of Shang, Bo Bo was executed by King Zhou, and his descendants adopted the name of their fief as their surname.
2. The surname also resulted from the adoption of other ethnic groups. For example, the Nanman people during the Han Dynasty had the Mei surname; the Xih tribe in the north also used the Mei surname. In the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu people living in Shenyang adopted the Mei surname, and the Meijia clan, which was part of the Eight Banners, later changed their surname to Mei. Additionally, the local chieftains in Kaizhou, Guizhou, also bore the Mei surname. Today, the Mei surname can be found among the Manchu, Tujia, Yi, Mongolian, Li, Dongxiang, and Xibe ethnic groups.

Founder of the Surname#

The founder of the Mei clan is Bo Bo, a loyal minister during the late Shang Dynasty who served under King Zhou. Known for his integrity and courage to speak out against the king’s tyranny, Bo Bo repeatedly advised King Zhou, though his advice was ignored. Despite warnings from his colleagues that his loyalty could lead to his death, Bo Bo insisted, “If no one dares to speak the truth, what use are we ministers for?” When King Zhou could no longer tolerate his criticism, he had Bo Bo executed and even made his body into a paste. Bo Bo’s courage and unwavering loyalty have been remembered for centuries. After King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty, he granted Bo Bo’s descendants the fief of Huangmei and the title of Marquis Zhonghou. Their descendants adopted the surname Mei as a tribute to their ancestor.

Distribution of the Mei Clan#

The Mei clan ranks 136th among Chinese surnames and has a significant population, accounting for about 0.1% of the Han population nationwide. It originated in Huangmei, Hubei, and initially settled in Runan, Henan. Over generations, they have spread to Yunnan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Henan, with the majority residing in these regions (accounting for 74% of the national Han population with the Mei surname). Many famous individuals with the Mei surname include Mei Zhili, Mei Yiqi, and Mei Lanfang.

Family Names (Tanghao)#

Common family names associated with the Mei clan include “Runan Tang” and “Yuanling Tang.”

Famous People with the Mei Surname#

• Mei Cheng: Grandson of Mei Wending, a Qing Dynasty minister and astronomer. He passed the imperial examinations in the 53rd year of the Kangxi reign and served as a censor, contributing to the revision of astronomical texts such as “Shuli Jingyun” and “Lixiang Kaocheng.” He also wrote “Chishui Yizhen.”
• Mei Wending: From Xuancheng, a Qing Dynasty astronomer who studied ancient and modern calendars from China and abroad, introducing European mathematical concepts. He authored more than eighty works of scientific value, including “Meishi Lishu Quanshu” and “Guchun Lifa Tongkao,” which were later compiled into the “Meishi Shucu.”
• Mei Lanfang: From Taizhou, Jiangsu, a renowned Peking opera artist and one of the four great female performers in Chinese opera history. She founded the Mei school of Peking opera and performed a variety of roles, including the Qingyi and Daoma dan traditions. She was celebrated for her artistic contributions and continued to perform until her death at the age of 67 in 1961. Her works include “Guifei Zuiji” and “Bawang Bieji.”

The Mei clan has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with many prominent figures emerging from its ranks.