The Xue Family Name#

Family Name: Xue, pronounced as “xuē”

Regions Where the Xue Family Name Is Found**#

He Dong Commandery in Shanxi Province, Henan Commandery in Henan Province, Xin Cai Commandery in Henan Province, Pei Commandery in Anhui Province, and Gao Ping in Shandong Province.

Origin of the Xue Family Name**#

The Xue family name is a Chinese surname that originated in present-day Jining and Tengzhou, Shandong Province. It ranks 68th in the “Hundred Family Surnames” tradition. Today, members of the Xue clan are widely distributed throughout China, with the largest concentrations in provinces such as Jiangsu, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, and Fujian. These regions account for 63% of the total Han Chinese population with the Xue surname. The Xue family name is currently the 48th most common in China, with a population of over 6.72 million, representing approximately 0.42% of the national population.

Origins of the Xue Family Name#

1. Derived from a state name: According to the “Yuan He Xing Zuan,” Xi Zhong lived in the area of Xue (now Teng County, Shandong Province) and later moved to Pi (now Huishan County, Shandong Province). In the late Spring and Autumn period, they moved to Xiapi (now Pi County, Jiangsu Province), which later became part of the state of Qi. During the Warring States period, the state of Qi was conquered by the state of Chu. Xi Zhong’s son, Gongzi Deng, served in Chu, and was granted the fief of Pei by King Huai of Chu. He adopted the name “Xue” after his former state.
2. Conferred by an emperor: According to the “Wu Lu,” Meng Changjun was granted the fief of Xue. After the Qin dynasty conquered the other six states, his descendants adopted the name “Xue” as their surname.
3. Changed from a Xianbei ethnic surname: According to the “Wei Shu·Guan Shi Zhi,” during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, a Xianbei clan with the surname “Chigan” moved south with Emperor Xiaowen of Wei to Luoyang and adopted the Han surname “Xue.”

Founder of the Xue Family Name**#

The founder of the Xue family is Xi Zhong. The Xue surname originates from the Ren surname of the Yellow Emperor, who had twenty-five sons, each receiving a different surname. One of these sons, named Yu Yang, was granted the fief of Ren (now Jining, Shandong Province) and thus took the Ren surname. The Ren surname was passed down to Xi Zhong, the twelfth-generation descendant. Xi Zhong served as the chief engineer of chariots during the Xia dynasty and lived in the area of Xue, where he was titled Marquis of Xue. His seventh-generation descendant, Cheng, led his people to move to the state of Zhi and changed their name to Zhi. At the end of the Shang dynasty, Zhou Boji married a woman from the state of Zhi and had a son named Ji Chang, who later became King Wen of Zhou. After King Wu of Zhou conquered the Shang dynasty, Xi Zhong was restored to his title as Marquis of Xue.

Distribution of the Xue Family Name**#

Today, the Xue family name has a population of nearly 3.1 million, making it the 48th most common in China, accounting for approximately 0.25% of the national population. Over the past 600 years since the Ming dynasty, the Xue population has increased by more than 11 times, growing from 270,000 to nearly 3.1 million, at a rate consistent with the overall national population growth. The Xue family name is most concentrated in Jiangsu, Shaanxi, and Henan provinces, accounting for about 39% of the total Xue population. It is also found in Shanxi, Hebei, and Shandong, with another 27% of the total population. Jiangsu is the province with the largest Xue population, accounting for 15% of the total Xue population. There are three main regions with concentrated Xue populations: the southeast (Jiangsu and Anhui), the northwest (Qin and Shanxi), and the north (Henan and Hebei).

Notable People with the Xue Family Name**#

• Xue Ju: From Fen Yin, He Dong (now Wanrong, Shanxi Province), he raised an army in the third year of the Daye era of the Sui dynasty (617 AD) and proclaimed himself the “Overlord of Western Qin,” ruling the land of Longxi with an army of 300,000. He soon declared himself emperor and moved the capital to Tianshui. His son later succeeded him but was defeated and surrendered to the Tang dynasty.
• Xue Tao: A female poet from Chang’an (now Xi’an, Shaanxi Province), known for her beauty, intelligence, and talent. She could compose poetry at the age of eight and was highly renowned for her musical skills. Her father died early, and she became a singer and poet. She created a type of paper called “Xue Tao Paper” for writing poetry.
• Xue Shi Yu: A scholar from Quanjiao, Anhui Province, who passed the imperial examinations in the third year of the Xianfeng era (1853 AD). He served in Li Hongzhang’s army and later became the governor of Hangzhou, overseeing both military and administrative affairs. He authored the “Teng Xiang Guan Ji” and composed poems such as “West Lake Oars” and “River Boat Songs.”