The Qiao Family Name#

Family Name: Qiao, Pronunciation: qiáo

Regions Where the Qiao Family Name is Found#

Beihai Commandery: Established during the Han Dynasty in the second year of the Zhongyuan era of Emperor Jing (Guisi, 148 BC) by splitting from the Qi Commandery. Its administrative center was in Beihai (some say Yingling, now in Changle, Shandong Province). At that time, its jurisdiction included the areas around Weifang and Yantai in present-day Shandong Province. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Beihai Commandery was also known as Qingzhou, with its administrative center in Yidu, and its jurisdiction covered the same areas.

Ba Commandery: Also known as Bazhou, it corresponds to the current Bazhou District in Bazhong City.

Baxi Commandery: Corresponds to present-day Nanchong in Sichuan Province.

Qiaoguo Commandery: Also known as Qiaoguo or Qiao Commandery. Its jurisdiction covered the areas around Lingbi, Mengcheng, Taihe, Luyi, and Yongcheng counties in present-day Anhui and Henan provinces.

Origins of the Qiao Family Name#

The Qiao family name has the following origins:

1. It originates from the Ji surname, stemming from the fief of Sheng, a son of Duke Zhao (Ji?) during the early Western Zhou Dynasty. This form of the family name is based on the name of the state.
2. It also originates from the Ji surname, stemming from the fief of Ji Zhenyi, the thirteenth son of King Wen of Zhou. This form of the family name is based on the name of the fief.
3. It originates from a place name, referring to the ancient mountain of Qiaoming, and this form of the family name is based on the name of the settlement.

Ancestral Figures of the Qiao Family Name:

• Duke Zhao (?)
• Marquis Sheng of Qiao (Ji Sheng)
• Ji Zhenyi (also known as Cao Bo)

Migration and Distribution

The Qiao family is an ancient Han Chinese surname. However, its total population does not rank among the top 300 in mainland China, and it ranks 708th in Taiwan Province. The Qiao family's origins can be traced back to Beihai Commandery, Ba Commandery, Baxi Commandery, and Qiao Commandery. Although the Qiao family is not particularly prominent among the top hundred Chinese surnames, it is quite influential in Xixiang County, Shaanxi Province, especially in the areas of Yanghe and Majiawan, which are known as "Qiao's Half River." Nanchong and Langzhong in Sichuan Province also have a significant Qiao population. Globally, the Qiao surname can be found in Anhui, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guizhou, Xinjiang, and Gansu provinces. The Qiao family name can be traced back over 3,000 years. According to "Shixing Kaolue," the Qiao family originated from the royal Ji lineage of the ancient Zhou Dynasty. The ancestor of the Qiao family was Duke Zhao (?), who was as renowned for his wisdom as the Duke of Zhou (Duke Dan). His descendants served as officials of the Cao state for generations. Some of them adopted the name of their fief as their surname, while others used the place name "Qiao" as their surname, thus forming the Qiao clan. The Qiao family became prominent during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and its rise began around the time when the Qin Dynasty ruled Bashu (316–206 BC). As recorded in "Huayang Guozhi · Ba Zhi," there was a prominent Qiao family in Nanchong.

Hall Names (Tanghao):

• Beihai Hall: Established based on the family's ancestral origins in Beihai Commandery.
• Ba Commandery Hall: Established based on the family's ancestral origins in Ba Commandery, also known as Langzhong Hall.
• Baxi Hall: Established based on the family's ancestral origins in Baxi Commandery, also known as Xichong Hall.
• Qiaoguo Hall: Established based on the family's ancestral origins in Qiaoguo Commandery.

Notable People with the Qiao Surname**#

• Qiao Zhou: A prominent scholar of the Three Kingdoms period from the state of Shu. His courtesy name was Yunnan (200–270 AD). He was from Xichong, Baxi (now in southwest Sichuan Province) and was well-versed in the Six Classics. His works include "Qiaozi Faxun," "Lunyu Zhuan," "Wujing Ranfu Lun," "Gukao Shi," and "Bashu Wuyi Zhi." "Gukao Shi," comprising 25 volumes, was praised in the Tang Dynasty as a historical work comparable to "Shiji" (Records of the Grand Historian). Qiao Zhou's tomb is located in Nanchong.
• Qiao Zong: The ruler of the Later Shu state during the Sixteen Kingdoms period (?–413 AD). He reigned from 405–413 AD and was from Nanchong, Bashu (now in Sichuan Province). He initially served as an advisor in the Anxi Prefecture of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In 405 AD, he seized control of Shu and declared himself King of Chengdu, but his kingdom was defeated and fell in 413 AD.
• Qiao Ding: A scholar of the Song Dynasty, courtesy name Tianshou, from Fuling. Known as Master Qiao, he was a devout Buddhist who later studied the "I Ching" under Guo Nang and learned from Cheng Yi in Luoyang. He was one of the most outstanding scholars