The Dan Tai surname#

Surname: Dan Tai, pronounced as tán tái

Regions where the Dan Tai surname is found**#

Taiyuan Commandery: During the Qin and Han dynasties, the administrative center of Taiyuan Commandery was located in Jinyang, which is in the southwest of present-day Taiyuan City. During the Sui dynasty, Jinyang was renamed Taiyuan, and another Jinyang was established, which became part of the same city as Taiyuan. The Taiyuan Prefecture during the Tang dynasty was also located in this area. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty, the Bingzhou region was merged into Taiyuan Prefecture, and its administrative center was moved to Yangqu (present-day Taiyuan City). Since then, the capitals of the Song, Jin, and Ming dynasties have all been located here.

Origin of the Dan Tai surname**#

The origin of the Dan Tai surname is straightforward. One theory suggests that it originated from a descendant of Mie Ming, a disciple of Confucius from the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period, who took the name of the place where he lived as his surname. Mie Ming traveled south to the Yangtze River basin and settled by Dan Tai Lake (in present-day Wu County, Jiangsu Province); another theory suggests he lived by Dan Tai Mountain (south of present-day Jiaxiang County, Shandong Province), and thus named himself after the lake (or mountain). His descendants adopted the name Dan Tai as their surname.

The progenitor of the Dan Tai surname

According to the Shì Xìng Kǎo Lüe (A Brief History of Surnames), the Dan Tai surname originated from people who took the name of the place where they lived. It is said that Mie Ming, a disciple of Confucius from the State of Lu, lived by Dan Tai Mountain south of Jiaxiang County, Shandong Province. His courtesy name was Ziyu, and he settled by Dan Tai Lake. Later, his descendants adopted the name Dan Tai as their surname.

Migration and distribution

The Dan Tai surname does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. It originated during the Spring and Autumn period in the Dan Tai Mountain area of the State of Lu (south of present-day Jiaxiang County, Shandong Province). A disciple of Confucius named Mie Ming, with the courtesy name Ziyu, lived there. Although he was unattractive in appearance, he was of good character and loved the scenery of the area, so he took the name of the mountain as his surname. His descendants continued to use the Dan Tai surname. During the Warring States period, the Qin dynasty established Taiyuan Commandery, with its administrative center in Jinyang (in the southwest of present-day Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province).

Hall names associated with the Dan Tai surname

The Dan Tai surname is associated with two hall names: Zhan Jiao Tang (Hall of the Dragon Slayer) and Hui Bi Tang (Hall of the Broken Jade). Confucius had a disciple named Dan Tai Mie Ming, who was known for his high moral standards. He refused to take shortcuts in his travels and would not meet with officials unless it was for official business. One day, Mie Ming was crossing a river with a precious jade tablet worth a thousand gold coins. When the boat reached the middle of the river, huge waves arose, and two dragons blocked the way. Mie Ming said, “I can only obtain what belongs to me through righteousness; I will not let force take it from me!” He drew his sword and killed the dragons, and the waves calmed down. Afterward, he threw the jade tablet into the river, but it kept floating back to the boat three times. In the end, Mie Ming destroyed the tablet and continued on his way. Hence, the Dan Tai surname is also associated with these two hall names, reflecting the stories of his bravery and integrity.