The Pu Clan#

Surname: Pu, pronounced as “pú”

Distribution of the Pu Clan#

• Lu Jun: During the Han Dynasty, Xue Jun was renamed Lu Guo, with its administrative center located in Lu County (Qufu was designated as Lu County during the Qin Dynasty). In the Jin Dynasty, it was known as Lu Jun. During the Northern Qi Dynasty, it was renamed Ren Cheng Jun. In the Sui Dynasty, there was Lu Zhou and Lu Jun; in the Tang Dynasty, there was Yan Zhou and Lu Jun. Although Qufu was under their jurisdiction (during the Sui Dynasty, Lu County was renamed Wenyang, and later its original name was restored), the administrative center was always in Yan Zhou.

Origins of the Pu Clan#

The Pu surname has four origins:

1. It originates from the You clan, descendants of Shun, who adopted the name of the place where they were settled. When Shun was the leader of the Yan-Huang tribes, he granted lands to his descendants in the Pu area, and they took the name of the place as their surname, passing it down through generations.
2. It originates from the Gaoyang clan, descendants of Zhuanxu. One of Zhuanxu’s descendants, Lu Zhong, settled in the Pu area and adopted the name of the place as their surname.
3. It originates from the Ji clan, descendants of Kang Shu of the State of Wei, who adopted the name of the city where they lived. According to “Xing Yuan,” during the Spring and Autumn Period, a high-ranking official from the State of Wei was granted lands in Pu (now Pucheng, east of Puyang City, Henan Province), and his descendants took the name of the place as their surname.
4. It originates from the Xiong clan, who adopted the name of the state they lived in. According to “Lu Shi,” during the Zhou Dynasty, there was the State of Bai Pu (located south of Shishou County, Hubei Province); its people took the name of the state as their surname.

Founder of the Surname: Yao San. According to “Lu Shi,” Yao San was a descendant of Yao Shun. He was granted lands in Pu, and his descendants took the name of the place as their surname, establishing the Pu clan. Therefore, Yao San is revered as the founder of the Pu clan.

Migration and Distribution: The Pu surname is not among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. The main origin of the Pu clan, according to “Lu Shi,” is from Yao San, a descendant of Shun who was granted lands in Pu. According to “Xing Yuan,” a high-ranking official from the State of Wei lived in Pu and adopted the name of the place as their surname. According to “Lu Shi,” the Pu clan has a history of over two to three thousand years, as they took the name of the place where they lived. The “Bai Pu” clan mentioned in historical records refers to the Yi tribe, led by Mi Ren, who gathered in Xuan to prepare for an attack on the State of Chu. The main area of activity of the Bai Pu clan was in present-day Shishou County, Hubei Province, and they later moved to both sides of the Pu River in Henan, becoming a prominent surname there. The Pu clan has also been well-known in central Sichuan and has been one of the “seven prominent surnames in Bazhong” since the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Scholars have determined that the Pu clan in Sichuan migrated from Hubei. The prominent members of the clan lived in the Lu Jun area, which is now part of Zixian County, Shandong Province.

Hall Names: Some common hall names for the Pu clan include “Shang Zhong Tang” (Hall of Loyalty).

Common Couplets for Pu Clan Ancestral Halls:

• Upper Couplet: “Died for loyalty in Goryeo; Recited the Book of Songs in the East Sea.” This couplet refers to Pu Zhen of the Ming Dynasty, who was captured during an expedition to Goryeo. When the Goryeo king offered him to surrender, he said, “A true man has a loyal heart; how could I obey you?” and then drew his sword and killed himself.
• Lower Couplet: “Renowned in the East Sea; Ambitious like a mighty army.” This couplet refers to Pu Zhongweng of the Western Han Dynasty, who was summoned to the court and once expounded on the Book of Songs to Emperor Xuan.

The Pu clan has a long and honorable history, with notable figures from both the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties and the Ming Dynasty.