The Xun Clan#

Surname: Xun, pronounced as “xún”

Distribution of the Xun Clan#

• Henan Commandery: Established during the reign of Emperor Gao of Han, with its administrative center located in present-day Luoyang City, Henan Province.

Origin of the Xun Surname#

There are three theories regarding the origin of the Xun surname:

1. It originates from ancient times and is a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, the leader of the Xuanyuan tribe. According to legend, the Yellow Emperor had 25 sons, who were given 12 different surnames, with Xun being one of them. During the Yellow Emperor’s reign, there was a minister named Xun Shi, who was skilled in crafts and responsible for making official hats for various officials.
2. The surname derives from the Ji family, with the name of the state being used as the surname. According to “Xing Yuan,” in the 11th century BCE, the 17th son of King Wen of Zhou was granted the fief of the ancient state of Xun (located in present-day Linyi County, Shanxi Province, or some say Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province). He established the state of Xun as a count, known historically as Marquis Xun or Uncle Xun. The state was later conquered by Duke Wu of Jin, and his descendants adopted the name of the state, “Xun,” adding the character “cǎo” (grass) to it to form the Xun surname.
3. Another branch of the Xun clan comes from officials of the state of Jin, such as Xun Xi, Xun Linfu, and Xun Wan. However, since Xun Wan’s mother was from the Zheng family, the Xun surname does not necessarily originate from the Ji lineage.

Ancestor of the Surname

The ancestor of the Xun clan is Marquis Xun. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, King Wen of Zhou granted his 17th son, Marquis Xun, the fief of the ancient state of Xun and bestowed the Xun surname upon him. The capital of the ancient state of Xun was located to the west of Xinjiang. The territory of the ancient state of Xun included the area west of the Qin River and east of the Sui River in southern Shanxi. The state of Xun was eventually conquered by Duke Wu of Jin. Later, the states of Han, Zhao, and Wei divided up Jin’s territory. The capital of Wei was located in Anyi, later moved to Daliang (present-day Luoyang, Henan Province); the capital of Han was initially in Quwo and later in Xiangyuan (present-day Changzhi City); the capital of Zhao was in Handan. According to “Tong Zhi·Shi Zú Lüè,” the descendants of Marquis Xun adopted the name of the state as their surname, removing the character “yi” (city) and adding the character “cǎo” to form the Xun surname.

Halls of the Clan

• Zuo Guan Tang: The Yellow Emperor had a minister named Xun Shi, who invented the crown (hat).
• Lan Ling Tang: During the Warring States period, Xun Qing was a teacher of King Xiang of Zhao. When someone spoke ill of him in front of the king, he fled to the state of Chu and became the governor of Lanling. Disgusted by the corrupt politics of the time, he studied the teachings of Confucius and Mozi and wrote the book “Xun Zi.”

Population Distribution

The Xun surname does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. The Xun surname originates from the Ji family. During the ancient Zhou Dynasty, King Wen of Zhou granted one of his sons the fief of Xun, and the Xun surname was passed down through his descendants. The ancient state of Xun was eventually conquered by Duke Wu of Jin. Later, the states of Han, Zhao, and Wei divided up Jin’s territory. The Xun clan, originally from the ancient state of Xun, is mainly found in the He Nei Commandery, which is now southwest of Wuzhi County, Henan Province. Therefore, the descendants of the Xun clan revere Marquis Xun as the ancestor of their surname.

Clan Halls

• Zuo Guan Tang: The Yellow Emperor’s minister Xun Shi created the crown.
• Lan Ling Tang: During the Warring States period, Xun Qing was a teacher of King Xiang of Zhao. After being slandered, he fled to the state of Chu and became the governor of Lanling. He studied the teachings of Confucius and Mozi and wrote the book “Xun Zi.”

Migration and Distribution

The Xun surname is not among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. It originates from the Ji family. In ancient times, King Wen of Zhou granted one of his sons the fief of Xun (in the area of present-day Linyi County, Shanxi Province), and the Xun surname was established. Another branch of the Xun clan dates back to the Yellow Emperor’s era. It is said that the Yellow Emperor had 25 sons, 14 of whom had surnames, with Xun being one of them. During the Spring and Autumn period, a minister of the state of Jin named Xun Ao was granted the fief of Xun (in the area of present-day Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province), and his son adopted the name of the state as his surname. The Xun clan later split into several branches, including the Xun, Zhongxing, and Zhi families. The most prominent clan members of the Xun clan lived in the He Nei Commandery, which is now southwest of Wuzhi County, Henan Province.