The Xu Family#

Surname: Xu, Pronunciation: xǔ

Regions Where the Xu Family Is Distributed#

• Runan Commandery: Established during the reign of Emperor Gao of Han, with its administrative center in Shangcai (southwest of present-day Shangcai, Henan). The progenitor of this branch of the Xu family was Xu Yi, a reclusive scholar who refused to serve during the late Qin dynasty.
• Gaoyang Commandery: Established during the reign of Emperor Huan of Eastern Han, with its administrative center in Gaoyang (east of present-day Gaoyang County, Hebei). This branch of the Xu family is a descendant of Xu Ju from the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and its ancestors included Xu Mao, the governor of Gaoyang.
• Henan Commandery: Reorganized from the Qin dynasty’s Sanchuan Commandery during the reign of Emperor Gao of Han, with its administrative center in Luoyang (northeast of present-day Luoyang, Henan). This branch of the Xu family is a direct descendant of Wen Shu.
• Taiyuan Commandery: Established during the Warring States period by King Zhuangxiang of Qin, with its administrative center in Jinyang (southwest of present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi). This branch of the Xu family is a descendant of the famous scholar Xu Shao from the late Eastern Han dynasty.
• Kuiji Commandery: Established during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, with its administrative center in Wuxian (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu). The progenitor of this branch of the Xu family was a descendant of the renowned Eastern Han scholar Xu Shen.

Origins of the Xu Surname#

The Xu surname originates from the Jiang clan and is descended from the legendary Yan Emperor Shennong. The Xu and Qi families share the same ancestry and are both descendants of Boyi, one of the Four Great Mountains of ancient China. The Four Great Mountains were leaders of tribal confederacies during the Yao and Shun periods. These tribal confederacies, led by the Ji and Jiang clans, overthrew King Zhou of Shang and established the Western Zhou dynasty. During the reign of King Cheng of Zhou, many feudatories were enfeoffed, including the Xu state, one of the Jiang-led states. The founder of the Xu state was Wen Shu.

Legends about the Origin of the Xu Surname:

1. According to legend, Xu You, a virtuous scholar from the Yao and Shun period, lived in Jishan. When Emperor Yao offered him the throne, he declined and went to Jishan to farm. When Emperor Yao invited him to serve as the governor of the nine provinces, Xu You refused, saying that Yao’s words had offended him. Consequently, he washed his ears by the Ying River. This event led to the Xu family adopting “Xie Er” (Washing Ears) as its hall name (tang hao).
2. Another legend suggests that Xu You was a descendant of Xu You, a sage from the Yao and Shun period who lived in Jishan. After his death, he was buried there, and the mountain was named after him.

Distribution of the Xu Family

The Xu family originated in the eastern part of present-day Henan Province. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the Xu state was frequently forced to relocate its capital due to conflicts with other states such as Zheng and Chu. After the Xu state was conquered by Chu, many Xu people settled in areas such as present-day Jingshan, Hubei, and Zhijiang, Hunan. The Xu family also spread to northern regions like Gaoyang (present-day Hebei) during the Qin and Han dynasties and later to larger areas in Henan, Hebei, Anhui, Shaanxi, and Shanxi. The southward migration of the Xu family began during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties. In the Tang dynasty, some Xu people moved to Fujian, and during the Song and Yuan dynasties, some migrated to Guangdong. In the Ming dynasty, some Xu people moved to Taiwan and later to overseas.

Hall Names of the Xu Family

• Xie Er Tang: Named after the story of Xu You washing his ears in response to Emperor Yao’s offers.
• De Ren Tang: Named in honor of Boyi and his refusal to eat food from the Zhou dynasty, preferring to starve to death on Shouyang Mountain. Confucius praised them for their pursuit of righteousness.
• Xun Gu Tang: Named after Xu Shen, a great scholar of the Han dynasty who compiled the “Shuowen Jiezi,” a fundamental text on Chinese characters and philology.

Notable Figures with the Xu Surname

• Xu You: A virtuous scholar from the ancient period, known for his refusal to accept the throne from Emperor Yao and his life in Jishan.
• Xu Shen: A renowned scholar and philologist of the Eastern Han dynasty who wrote the “Shuowen Jiezi.”
• Xu Jingcheng: A scholar from the Qing dynasty who served as an envoy to various countries and made significant contributions to the study of Chinese characters.

The Xu family has a long and respected history in China, with many notable figures throughout its history.