Qin Clan#

Surname: Qin, pronounced as qín

Distribution of the Qin Clan**#

• Tianshui Commandery: Also known as Shangxi Commandery. It was established in the third year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (441 BCE), with its administrative center in Pingxiang (now Tongwei, Gansu). At that time, its jurisdiction covered areas including present-day Tongwei, Qin'an, Dingxi, Qingshui, Zhuanglang, Gangu counties in Gansu Province, as well as the northwest part of Tianshui City, the eastern part of Longxi, and the northeastern part of Yuzhong.
• Nan Commandery: Founded in the 29th year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin during the Warring States period (278 BCE), and continued to be used during the Han Dynasty. Its administrative center was Ying (now Jingzhou, Hubei).

Origins of the Qin Surname**#

The Qin surname has multiple origins:

1. Descendants of ancient musicians, taking the name of their profession as their surname.
2. Derived from the Ji surname, originating from Qin Lao of the State of Wei during the Spring and Autumn period; this is an example of taking the name of a ancestors as a surname.
3. Derived from the Mi surname, originating from a musician from the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period; this is an example of taking an official title as a surname.
4. Originated from the Mongolian ethnic group, as a result of sinicization and name changes.
5. Originated from the Korean ethnic group, as a result of sinicization and name changes.

Progenitor of the Surname: Qin Lao (also known as Qin Zhang)

Migration and Distribution

The Qin clan is an ancient one with multiple origins and ethnic backgrounds. However, it does not rank among the top 300 surnames in mainland China and is ranked 1,687th in Taiwan Province. The most prominent branches of the clan originate from Tianshui Commandery and Nan Commandery. During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a person named Qin Lao from the State of Wei, whose given name was Zikai and who was a disciple of Confucius. His descendants adopted the name “Qin” as their surname. According to the research in “Xingshi Kaolue,” the progenitor of the Qin clan was an ancient musician, and his descendants took the name of their profession as their surname. The Chinese zither (qín) has a very long history; according to “Shuowen Jiezi,” it was invented by Shennong and originally had five strings, which were later increased to seven by the Zhou Dynasty. “Li·Yue Ji” states that Shun created the five-stringed zither, and “Guangya” describes its dimensions as being three feet six inches and three fen in length, with a width of six inches. These historical records demonstrate the deep musical heritage of the Chinese nation. Since the existence of the zither, there must have been musicians, and many descendants of these musicians adopted “Qin” as their surname. After the unification of China by the Qin and Han dynasties, the Qin clan flourished in Tianshui, Gansu, and gradually spread to other areas. During the Ming Dynasty, members of the Qin clan could be found as far south as Jiaozhi (now in Jingzhou, central Hubei). The famous Qin Peng is a testament to this distribution.

Hall Names (Tanghao):

• Tianshui Hall: Established based on the clan’s origins in Tianshui.
• Nan Commandery Hall: Established based on the clan’s origins in Nan Commandery, also known as Yingyi Hall.

Notable People with the Qin Surname:

• Qin Lao: An ancient musician from the State of Wei at the end of the Spring and Autumn period, also known as Qin Zhang, and one of Confucius’ earliest disciples.