The Zhu Family Name#

The family name is Zu, pronounced as zǔ.

Distribution of the Zhu Family Name#

During the Qin Dynasty, the Fanyang Commandery was established, which is now located in Dingxing County, Hebei Province.

Origin of the Zhu Family Name#

The origin of the Zu family name is directly related to the royal family of the Shang Dynasty. Among the names of the kings of the Shang Dynasty, those containing the character “zu” include Zu Yi, Zu Xin, Zu Ding, Zu Geng, Zu Jia, and Zu Ji. Some of their descendants adopted this character as their surname. Zu Yi, the Middle Emperor of the Shang Dynasty, was one of the most accomplished rulers. He appointed a wise minister as his prime minister and worked diligently to revive the Shang Dynasty, which is why many people with the surname Zu consider him their ancestor. Additionally, during the reign of King Tang of the Shang Dynasty, there was a prime minister named Zhong Hui. Some of Zhong Hui’s descendants also took “zu” as their surname. The Zhu family name has become prominent in regions such as Fanyang, and it is also found among ethnic minorities such as the Manchu, Yi, and Dongxiang.

Ancestor of the Zhu Family Name#

Zu Ji is considered the ancestor of the Zhu family. The Zhu family is a distinguished lineage from Hebei Province, descending from the royal family of the Shang Dynasty, the same ancient sage-kings revered for thousands of years. According to records in books such as “Yuanhe Xing Zuan” and “Xing Pu,” the Zhu family name originated from the descendants of the Shang kings Zu Jia, Zu Yi, Zu Bing, and Zu Ding. During the 645 years of the Shang Dynasty, there were several rulers named “Zu,” including Zu Yi (the eleventh generation), Zu Xin (the twelfth generation), Zu Ding (the fourteenth generation), and Zu Geng (the twenty-first generation). Which of these rulers should be regarded as the true ancestor of the Zhu family? Many believe it should be Zu Ji, as records from that period mention a wise minister named Zu Ji who advised the king. The “Book of Documents” states, “Emperor Gaozong offered sacrifices to King Tang, and during the ceremony, a pheasant flew into the cauldron; Zu Ji gave instructions to the kings, which were later recorded as the ‘Instructions of Emperor Gaozong.’” Based on this, the history of the Zhu family name dates back at least 3,300 years, with its origins in the Fanyang Commandery (now in Zhu County, Hebei Province). This place has a profound connection to the Chinese nation. 5,000 years ago, the Yellow Emperor fought against the You tribe in the Zhuolu area, laying the foundation for the Chinese nation’s development. Many descendants of the Zhu family live in regions such as Fanyang Commandery.

Hall Names of the Zhu Family#

The Zhu family has several hall names, including Zhuojun Hall, Jingzhao Hall, and Fanyang Hall.

Migration and Distribution#

The total number of people with the Zhu surname does not rank among the top 300 in the “Hundred Family Surnames” in mainland China or Taiwan Province. However, it was ranked 249th in the Song Dynasty version of the “Hundred Family Surnames.” Today, the Zhu family can be found in various locations, including Shouguang County and Xiajin County in Shandong Province, Haidian District in Beijing, Yingshan County in Hubei Province, Shanghai, Tianjin, Leting County, Funing County, Xian County, Shen County, Xinle County, Funing County, and Dingxing County in Hebei Province, Hengshui City, Yixian County, and Qinhuangdao City in Hebei Province, Nanjing and Fengqiao Zhiying Village in Suzhou, Tongshan County in Jiangsu Province, Huai'an City, Suqian City, Sihong County in Jiangsu Province, Haimen County in Nantong City, Kunshan City, and Funing County in Jiangsu Province, Nanzhao County and Kaifeng City in Henan Province, Shangqiu City and Weihui County in Henan Province, Guoshi County and Xinxiang City in Henan Province, Chizhou City and Anqing City in Anhui Province, Xiaoxian County and Zongyang County in Anhui Province, Chaohu City and Lujiang County in Anhui Province (not only Lujiang County—the author has the surname Zhu and lives in the Chaohu area), Bengbu City and Chuzhou City in Anhui Province, Guangyuan County in Sichuan Province, Yongji County and Siping City in Jilin Province, and Tonghua City in Jilin Province. The Zhu family is also distributed in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Chongqing, Hunan Province, Fujian Province, Guizhou Province, Guangdong Province, Gansu Province, Liaoning Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region, Taiwan Province, as well as in countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Famous People with the Zhu Surname#

Zu Chongzhi: Born in Fanyang, during the Southern Song Dynasty, he was a renowned scientist of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. He made significant contributions to mathematics, astronomy, and mechanical engineering. Building on the work of his predecessors, he was the first to calculate pi to six decimal places (between 3.1415926 and 3.1415927), which was the most precise calculation at the time. He also proposed a method for calculating approximate values of pi, more than 1,000 years before Europe. His mathematical works, “Zhuishu” and “Jiuzhang Sh