The Ouyang Clan#

Clan Name: Ouyang, pronounced: ōu yáng

Distribution of the Ouyang Clan#

Bohai Commandery: Historically, the Bohai Commandery had two different names; the other being the Bohai State. During the Western Han Dynasty, the Bohai Commandery was established from the areas of Julu and Shanggu, with its administrative center in Fuyang (present-day Dongguan, Cangzhou, Hebei Province). Its jurisdiction covered the region around the Bohai Bay, which is now part of Hebei and Liaoning provinces.

Poyang Commandery: Originally a fief of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period, it was renamed Poyang during the Qin Dynasty. In the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan established the Poyang Commandery, with its capital in Poyang County, governing the northeastern part of present-day Jiangxi Province. The eastern and southeastern parts of this territory bordered Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, while the western and southwestern parts were adjacent to Jiujiang, Nanchang, Fuzhou, and Yingtan cities. The northern part connected to Anhui Province and encircled Jingdezhen City. The famous Poyang Lake is located within this area. The commandery included ten counties: Xinzhou, Shangrao, Guangfeng, Yushan, Yanshan, Hengfeng, Yiyang, Yugan, Poyang, Wannian, and Wuyuan, and also governed Dexing City.

Luling Commandery: Established in the first year of Xingping during the Eastern Han Dynasty (194 AD), its administrative center was in Shiyang (present-day Jishui, Jiangxi Province; some say it was in Ji'an, Jiangxi). During the Three Kingdoms period, the State of Wu moved its capital to Gaochang (present-day Taihe, Jiangxi), and the commandery's jurisdiction extended to the areas south of Yongxin, Xiajiang, Le'an, and Shicheng in Jiangxi Province. In the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Jizhou.

Origin of the Ouyang Clan#

The Ouyang surname originates from two sources:

1. It derives from the Si surname and shares the same ancestry, with the clan name coming from the name of a fief or the title of a marquis.
2. It also originates from the Si surname, stemming from the fief granted to Zi Ti, a descendant of Goujian of the State of Chu at the end of the Warring States period. This branch of the clan took the name of the fief as its surname.

Founding Ancestor of the Clan: Ouyang Wujian was a descendant of Goujian, the famous king of the State of Yue. The Ouyang and Ou (Qu) clans share the same ancestry, both being descendants of King Wujian, who was a seventh-generation descendant of Goujian. The Ouyang clan has a history of about 2000 years. According to historical records, Ouyang Wujian's second son was granted a fief south of Wucheng and Youshan. His descendants formed the Ouyang clan. The Ouyang clan's prominent lineage was based in the Bohai Commandery, which is now Cang County, Hebei Province.

Population and Distribution: The Ouyang clan ranks 149th among Chinese surnames in mainland China and 125th in Taiwan Province, with a population of approximately 1.083 million, accounting for about 0.067% of the national total. The prominent clans of the Ouyang clan originated from the Bohai Commandery. The Ouyang surname (along with Ou and Yang surnames) is among the top 100 surnames. According to the Ministry of Public Security's 2009 ID database, the Ouyang surname has a population of 2 to 3 million people. The origin of the Ouyang clan is linked to the Bohai Commandery (present-day Cang County, Hebei Province).

Clan Halls (Tanghao):

• Bohai Hall: Established based on the family's historical origins in the Bohai Commandery.
• Poyang Hall: Established based on the family's history in the Poyang Commandery.
• Luling Hall: Established based on the family's history in the Luling Commandery.
• Huadi Hall: Ouyang Xiu, a notable figure from the Song Dynasty, lost his father at the age of three and came from a poor family. His mother taught him to read using sand as paper and reeds as pens. Through hard work, he became a famous writer and a useful person to the court.

Generational Order of the Ouyang Clan: The generational order of the Ouyang clan is complex and detailed, reflecting the clan's long history and spread across various regions of China.

Notable Figures with the Ouyang Surname:

• Ouyang Xun (557–641 AD), a calligrapher from Linxiang, Tanzhou (present-day Changsha, Hunan).
• Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072 AD), a renowned politician, writer, historian, epigrapher, and bibliographer of the Northern Song Dynasty, who made significant contributions to literature and history.
• Ouyang Xuan (1283–1357 AD), a scholar from Liuyang, known for his writings and position as a Hanlin Scholar and Director of Education.

The Ouyang clan has a rich history and a wide distribution across China, with significant populations in various provinces. Their ancestral hall names reflect their historical roots and regional connections.