The Ban Clan#

Surname: Ban, pronounced as “bān”

Regions of the Ban Clan’s Distribution**#

According to “Shi Xing Kao Lüe” (A Brief Study of Surnames) and “Jun Wang Bai Jia Xing” (A Catalog of Surnames from Various Regions), the Ban clan originated from Fufeng Commandery. In the first year of the Taichu era during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the region of You Fufeng was established, which, along with Jingzhao and Zuo Fengyi, was collectively referred to as the “Three Auxiliaries.” During the Three Kingdoms period, it was renamed Fufeng Commandery. This region is located west of present-day Chang’an County in Shaanxi Province.

The Origin of the Ban Surname#

The origin of the Ban surname can be traced back to two possible sources:

1. The Ban surname may stem from the Mi clan, descending from Ruo’ao during the Spring and Autumn period. Ruo’ao’s son was Dou Bo Bi, and Dou Bo Bi’s son was Ling Yin Zi Wen. There is a legend that Ling Yin Zi Wen was raised on tiger milk. Since tigers have stripes, his descendants adopted “ban” as their surname. Over time, the character “ban” evolved into the written form “ban.”
2. According to “Feng Su Tong,” the Ban surname also originates from Que Ban, a prominent official of the state of Chu.

Ancestor of the Surname

The ancestor of the Ban clan is Dou Ban, who came from the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. As recorded in “Feng Su Tong,” Dou Ban was a distinguished member of the Chu family and was a descendant of the Gaoyang clan from ancient times. According to “Ming Xian Shi Zu Yan Xing Lei Gao,” Dou Ban was raised on tiger milk, and because tigers have stripes, he was named after this characteristic. His descendants adopted his name as their surname. In ancient times, the characters “ban” and “ban” were interchangeable. The state of Chu was located in what is now Hubei and Hunan provinces. The prominent members of the Ban clan resided in Fufeng (east of present-day Xianyang County, Shaanxi Province). Dou Ban is revered as the ancestor of the Ban clan.

Hall Names

• Ding Yuan Tang: During the Han Dynasty, Ban Chao made significant contributions to the exploration of the Western Regions and was granted the title of Marquis of Ding Yuan.
• Han Shu Tang: Ban Biao, a son of Ban Chao from the Han Dynasty, and his daughter Ban Zhao collaborated to compile the “Han Shu” (History of the Han Dynasty).

Migration and Distribution

The Ban surname did not rank among the top 100 surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. Today, Ban descendants are scattered throughout the country, with few living in concentrated areas. I have heard of a place called Ban Jiazhuang in Xi’an City that I would like to visit. In Pingyi County, Linyi, Shandong Province, there is a village called Da Sanyang, which is home to approximately 1,500 Ban clan members.