The Zhu Clan#

Clan Name: Zhu (Zhù) Pronunciation: zhù

Distribution of the Zhu Clan#

Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province

Origin of the Zhu Clan#

The Zhu Clan ranks 141st among the most common surnames in China, with a relatively large population, accounting for approximately 0.087% of the total Han Chinese population.

Origins of the Zhu Surname There are four main origins of the Zhu surname:

1. From the Ji Clan: Descendants of the Yellow Emperor. According to historical records such as the "Yuanhe Xingzuan," "New Tang Book: Genealogy of Prime Ministers," and "Zhu Clan Origins," after the Yellow Emperor, King Wu of Zhou granted a fief to his descendant in the area of Zhu (the ancient city of Zhu is located northeast of present-day Changqing, Shandong Province), which later became known as the State of Zhu. The descendants took the name of their ancestral land.
2. From the personal name Zhu Rong: After Zhu Rong, a deity associated with fire and a tribal leader in ancient times, some descendants adopted his name as their surname.
3. From official titles: In ancient times, there was an official position called "Zhu Si" (priest or ritual officer), and their descendants adopted this title as their surname.
4. From other ethnic groups: Descendants of other clans that changed their surnames to Zhu, such as the Tu Fu (Chi Lu) clan during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the Manchu and Yi ethnic groups during the Qing Dynasty.

Ancestral Founder: Xuanyuan The common ancestor of various tribes in the Central Plains is considered the Yellow Emperor, whose given name was Xuanyuan. He was the son of Shaodian, the ruler of the Youxiong state, and changed his surname to Ji after living near the Ji River for a long time. Xuanyuan became the leader of the Xuanyuan clan. After defeating the Yan Emperor in a battle near Banquan (southeast of present-day Zhuolu, Hebei), he unified the two tribes. His descendants were granted the fief of Zhu by King Wu of Zhou, which led to the establishment of the Zhu surname. Since Zhu Rong was also a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan is revered as the ancestral founder of the Zhu clan.

Migration and Spread The Zhu clan originated in present-day Changqing, Shandong. During the Western and Eastern Zhou dynasties, members of the clan spread to regions such as Shaanxi and Henan due to official positions and other reasons. Notable individuals from this period include Zhu Gui, a high-ranking official from the Zhou dynasty who fled to Wen Yi (present-day Wen County, Henan) after a failed rebellion. During the Spring and Autumn period, there were officials named Zhu Dan and Zhu Kuan from Zheng and Wei, respectively. In the Western Han dynasty, there were people named Zhu Wu from Qi (present-day Shandong), Zhu Gui from Zhongnan Zheng (now in Shaanxi), and Zhu Sheng from Jiujiang (now in Jiangxi). During the Eastern Han dynasty, notable figures included Zhu Feng (minister), Zhu Wang Jin (imperial censor), Zhu Liang (governor of Jiu Zhen and Changsha), and Zhu Tian (imperial court official from Zhongshan Lu Nu, present-day Dingzhou, Hebei). These historical records show that the Zhu clan had become a prominent family in the north and had also settled in Hunan.

During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Zhu clan flourished in Henan and Taiyuan. Social turmoil during this period led to many members migrating to Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi. A well-known figure from this time is Zhu Yingtai, from present-day Shangyu, Zhejiang. After the An Lushan Rebellion and the Huang Chao uprising, many Zhu clan members fled from Henan to Hubei or crossed the Qinling Mountains to Sichuan. During the Song dynasties, the Zhu clan declined in the north but grew in the south. For example, Zhu Zhiqiu moved from present-day Chengwu, Shandong, to present-day Changyuan, Henan; Zhu Mu moved from present-day Shexian, Anhui, to present-day Chong'an, Fujian; and Zhu Xiangqi moved from Jiangling (present-day Hubei) to present-day Shexian. In the early Ming dynasty, the Zhu clan was relocated from Shanxi to various places, including Shandong, Shaanxi, and Hubei. During the Qing dynasty, members of the Zhu clan migrated to Sichuan along with other groups from Huguang. Today, the Zhu clan is widely distributed across China, with a significant presence in Anhui and Sichuan, accounting for approximately 0.087% of the total Han Chinese population.

Notable People with the Zhu Surname

• Zhu Yingtai: A woman from Shangyu, Dongjin, who disguised herself as a man and studied with Liang Shanbo for three years. When Liang Shanbo discovered her true identity, he wanted to marry her, but she was already engaged to someone else, leading to her death of sorrow. The following year, she visited her tomb and wept, causing it to split, allowing her to be buried with Liang Shanbo.
• Zhu Shilu: A scholar from Dexing, Jiangxi, who was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations during the Ming dynasty and served as the Minister of Precious Treasures. He wrote works such as "Zhu Zi Xiaoyan," "Huanbi Zhai Xiaoyan," and "Huanbi Zhai Shi Ji."