Various Surnames#

Surname: Zhu (pronounced: zhū)

Regions Where the Surname Zhu is Found#

Langya Commandery: Established by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. This corresponds to the areas of present-day Zhucheng, Linyi, and Jiaonan in southeastern Shandong Province.

Origins of the Surname Zhu#

The surname Zhu has four possible origins:

1. The surname originated from a personal name; it is a descendant of Goujian, the king of the State of Yue. During the early Western Han Dynasty, there was a person named Wuzhu, who was a descendant of Goujian. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Wuzhu led his troops to assist Liu Bang in defeating Xiang Yu, leading to victory in the war. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Wuzhu was granted the title of King of Minyue by Liu Bang. His descendants adopted his name as their surname, thus forming the Zhu lineage.
2. The surname derived from the combination of the surnames Zhuge and Shi. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there was a nobleman named Zhuge Shipeng. After Zhao Kuangyin launched the Chenqiao Coup to establish the Song Dynasty, Zhuge Shipeng changed his name to Zhu Shipeng and lived in seclusion in the Kuaiji Mountains. His descendants then adopted the single surname Zhu, which became another origin of the Zhu lineage.
3. The surname originated from a fiefdom; people took the name of their fief as their surname. According to the "Xing Yuan," during the Spring and Autumn period, there was a place called Zhuyi in the State of Lu (located south of present-day Zhucheng, Shandong Province). A high-ranking official from Lu lived there, and his people relied on the resources of this fiefdom for their livelihood. His descendants adopted the name "Zhu" as their surname.
4. The surname originated from the Si lineage; it is a descendant of Zhu Jiying, a high-ranking official from the State of Yue. According to the "Mingxian Shizhu Yanxing Leigao," Zhu Jiying was a descendant of the State of Yue during the Warring States period.

Distribution of the Surname

The Zhu surname does not rank among the top 100 surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. In ancient times, most prominent families with the surname Zhu came from Langya Commandery, specifically the area of present-day Zhucheng, Shandong Province.

Notable People with the Surname Zhu

• Zhu Jiying: According to the "Records of the Grand Historian," he was one of the five prominent officials of the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period and was skilled in oratory. In the third year of Goujian's reign (494 BC), King Fuchai of Wu launched a campaign against Yue to avenge the previous king Helü's defeat. Goujian led his troops to fight but was defeated and was forced to retreat to the Kuaiji Mountains. His official Wen Zhong suggested seeking peace through negotiations. Goujian sent Zhu Jiying to Wu to negotiate, and the peace agreement was successfully concluded. This event is recorded in the "Guoyu · Yueyu."
• Zhu Fukun: A person from the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, with the courtesy name Yuanjian and the literary name Xinglu, he was from Xingcun, Zhouzhuang Town. His father, Zhu Wenyuan, was skilled in calligraphy and painting and also knowledgeable in medicine. Zhu Fukun authored six volumes of "Xiaolu Wen Chao," which were later published with financial support from Liu Yazi.