The Zhao (Zhan) Clan#

Clan Name: Zhao (Zhan), Pronunciation: zhàn

Distribution of the Zhao (Zhan) Clan#

Nanchang, Jiangxi

Origins of the Zhao (Zhan) Clan#

The origin of the “Zhàn” clan can be traced to the following:

1. Originating from the Si (Si) Clan: This branch descended from the Great Yu clan during the early Xia Dynasty and adopted the name of their state as their surname. According to the “Hundred Surnames,” the Zhao clan originated from the Si clan, specifically from the Zhen Guan (Zhen Guan) clan of the Xia Dynasty. Later generations removed certain characters from their surname, combining the remaining ones to form the “Zhàn” clan.
2. Originating from the Yin Qi (Yin Qi) Clan: This branch descended from the third son of Emperor Yao, Da Jie, and adopted the name of their fiefdom as their surname. The “Chen Clan Genealogy of Jingzhou” records that the Chen clan descended from Yao and was granted the fiefdom of Da Jie in Luoyang, marking the beginning of the Chen clan.
3. Originating from the Ji (Ji) Clan: This branch originated from Bi Chen (Bi Chen), a high-ranking official of the State of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period, and adopted the name of their ancestor as their surname. The renowned Qing Dynasty scholar Zhang Shu wrote in “The Search for the Origins of Surnames” that the Zhao clan likely came from the Bi Chen clan of the Zheng State. This branch spread throughout various regions, with some members settling nearby towns and even as far as Hunan and Guizhou.
4. Originating from the Ji (Ji) Clan: This branch originated from people who lived in the area known as “Zhàn” during the Spring and Autumn Period and adopted the name of their residence as their surname.

Migration and Distribution

The Zhao (Zhàn) clan is not among the top 100 most common surnames on the Chinese mainland or in Taiwan. In ancient times, there was the Zhen Guan clan, a branch of the Great Yu clan that established the state of Zhen Guan (located in what is now Shouxing County, Shandong Province). When the Zhen Guan state was attacked, its people fled and agreed to use half of the names “Zhen” and “Guan” as their surnames, giving rise to the Zhao clan. Since Great Yu belonged to the Si clan, the Zhao clan is indeed a descendant of Great Yu. This surname has been passed down for over 4,000 years, making it a long-standing and prestigious one. Another theory suggests that an ancient place named “Zhàn” (around present-day Baofeng, Henan Province) was inhabited by people with the surname “Zhàn.” The Zhao clan later migrated southward and became a prominent family in the Yuzhang region, earning the reputation of being a “prominent family of Yuzhang.”

Notable Figures with the Zhao Surname

• Zhan Ruoshui (Zhàn Ruoshui): Known by the courtesy name Yuanming and the pseudonym Ganquan, he was a scholar from Zengcheng, Guangdong. He passed the imperial examinations in the 18th year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty and served as Minister of Personnel, Rites, and War. Zhan Ruoshui was a renowned scholar of the Ming Dynasty and a prominent disciple of Chen Baisha.
• Mother Tao (Tao Mu Zhan Shi): (243–318 AD) was a famous and virtuous mother in ancient China. She is one of the “Four Great Virtuous Mothers,” alongside Mother Meng, Mother Ou, and Mother Yue, and was renowned for her effective parenting and kind demeanor. The text “Youxue” mentions her as being the mother of Tao Kan, a famous general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

The Zhao clan has a rich history and has played a significant role in Chinese society over the centuries.