The Fan Clan#

Surname: Fan, pronounced as “fàn”

Regions where the Fan Clan is found**#

Gao Ping Prefecture, Shandong Province.

Origins of the Fan Clan#

The origin of the “Fan” surname can be traced back to the following sources:

1. From the Qi Clan: It originates from Liu Lei, a descendant of Emperor Yao and the Tao Tang lineage. Liu Lei adopted the name of his fiefdom as his surname. What makes the Fan clan unique compared to many others is their clear understanding of the origins of their surname. According to the “Xing Zuan,” Liu Lei, a descendant of Emperor Yao, was part of the Tang Du clan during the Zhou dynasty. When King Xuan of Zhou conquered the Du clan, Du Bo’s son, Wen Shu, fled to Jin and became a court advisor. Wen Shu’s grandson, Shi Hui, was granted a fiefdom in Fan, and thus the Shi Hui family adopted the name Fan. As recorded in the “Gujin Xingshi Shu Bian Zheng” and “Yuanhe Xing Zuan,” Liu Lei served King Kong Jia of the Xia dynasty and was granted the surname “Yu Long.” Later, they moved to Lu County and became the Shi Wei clan during the Shang dynasty. At the end of the Shang dynasty, when King Cheng of Zhou conquered the Tang clan, they were relocated to Du and became the Du Bo clan. Du Bo was unjustly killed, and his son, Du Xi Shu, fled to Jin, where his grandson, Du Ji, served as a court advisor and adopted the name Shi Ji. Shi Hui’s great-grandson, Shi Hui, was granted a fiefdom in Fan (now Fan County, Henan Province), and his descendants took the name Fan from this fiefdom.

2. From the Chu State: There was a place called Fan in the Chu state, and during the Spring and Autumn period, there was a mountain named Fan Shan (Fan Mountain).

3. From ethnic minorities: The Fan surname also exists among some ethnic minorities.

Founding Ancestor of the Fan Clan

Shi Hui (around 660–583 BCE), also known as Fan Wuzi, was a prominent official of the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period and a descendant of Shi Ji. He adopted the name Shi Hui based on his fiefdom in Sui. Later, due to events related to Prince Yong, he fled to the Qin state and contributed strategically during the Battle of Hequ, helping the Qin state defend against the Jin forces. After returning to Jin, he suggested withdrawing from the conflict due to internal divisions within the Jin army. After the death of Xun Linfu, he became the ruler and focused on education, causing many thieves in Jin to flee to Qin. When Song Si Ke was unable to avenge a humiliation suffered by Qi, Shi Hui suggested stepping down from power. Twenty years later, Duke Dao of Jin still respected the principles established by Fan Wuzi. A hundred years later, figures like Zhao Wu and Shu Xiang still remembered and admired Shi Hui.

Migration and Distribution

During the Pre-Qin period, the Fan clan was mainly active in Shanxi, Henan, and Hubei provinces. By the Qin and Han dynasties, the clan had spread to Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, and other areas north of the Yangtze River, and later to the Jiangnan region. In the Song dynasty, there were approximately 690,000 people with the Fan surname, accounting for about 0.9% of the national population, making it the 21st most common surname. The main concentrations were in Sichuan, Hebei, Henan, and Jiangsu, which together accounted for 57% of the total Fan population. The remaining 31% was distributed in Shandong, Shanxi, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Shaanxi. Sichuan was the province with the largest number of Fan descendants, accounting for 20% of the total. During the Ming dynasty, the Fan population was around 430,000, making it the 52nd most common surname, with a negative growth rate over 600 years.

Notable Figures with the Fan Surname

• Fan Li: (536–448 BCE), also known as Fan Bo, Di Yi Zi Pi, or Tao Zhu Gong, was a prominent politician, military strategist, and tactician of the Yue state during the late Spring and Autumn period. He was appointed as a high-ranking official and granted the title of General.
• Fan Zhongyan: (989–1052 CE), from Wuxian, Jiangsu, was a renowned politician, writer, thinker, and military strategist of the Northern Song dynasty. He served as a senior government advisor and was posthumously honored with the title “Wen Zheng.” His works include the “Fan Wen Zheng Gong Ji.”
• Fan Chengda: (1126–1193 CE), also known as Shi Hu Jushi, was a prominent minister of the Southern Song dynasty and a master of pastoral poetry. He held various government positions and was one of the four great poets of the “Zhongxing” era. He was granted the title of Chong Guo Gong and honored with the posthumous title “Wen Mu.”

Hall Names of the Fan Clan

Common hall names of the Fan clan include: “Gao Ping Tang,” “Hou Le Tang,” “Zhi Ben Tang,” “Ji Shu Tang,” “Yong Si Tang,” “Chong Ben Tang,” “Dun Ben Tang,” “Ji Shan Tang,” “Zhong Shu Tang,” “Jing Yi Tang,” “Kui Dao Tang,” and others.

Conclusion

The Fan clan has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with its origins dating back to ancient times. The clan has spread across various regions of China, with significant populations in Sichuan, Hebei, Henan, and Jiangsu. Despite facing challenges such as wars and massac