The Xing Family Name#

Family Name: Xing, Pronunciation: xíng

Distribution of the Xing Family Name#

County of Origin: Hejian County. During the Han Dynasty, it was known as the State of Hejian, with its administrative center in Lecheng (now Xian County, Hebei Province). The county was established during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and its administrative center was located in the southwest of present-day Hejian, Hebei Province.

Origins of the Xing Family Name#

The origin of the “Xing” family name can be traced to two main sources:

1. Deriving from the Ji surname: The family name was adopted from the name of the state. According to the “Yuanhe Xing Zuan,” the fourth son of the Duke of Zhou was granted the fief of Xing (present-day Xingtai City, Hebei Province). In 662 BCE, the State of Xing was conquered by the State of Wei, and the descendants of the duke adopted the name of the state as their family name.
2. Deriving from the name of a town: During the Spring and Autumn period, a nobleman from the State of Jin named Han Xuanzi had his family granted lands in the town of Xing (located east of present-day Wen County, Henan Province); descendants of Han Xuanzi also adopted the Xing family name.

Ancestor of the Family Name:
The Duke of Zhou, whose given name was Dan (also known as Shudan), was the fourth son of King Wen. As a duke, he assisted King Wu in overthrowing the Shang Dynasty and made significant contributions. After King Wu’s death, since King Cheng was still young, the Duke of Zhou acted as regent. During his regency, he led an army to suppress a rebellion led by Wu Geng and the tribes of Guan, Cai, and the Eastern Yi. He also strengthened the supervision of the remnants of the Shang Dynasty and established seventy-one new states to protect the royal family. He implemented the well-field system in these newly established states,统一ing land management and strengthening the economic foundation of the slave-based society. After King Cheng came to power, the Duke of Zhou formulated rituals and music, and established various systems of governance. In recognition of his achievements, the Duke of Zhou granted his four sons the fief of Xing, and they were titled the Marquises of Xing. When the State of Xing was eventually conquered by the State of Wei during the Spring and Autumn period, its descendants adopted the name of the state as their family name.

Common Hall Names for the Xing Family:
Common hall names for the Xing family include “Hejian Hall,” “Shouya Hall,” “Sanli Hall,” and “Dehang Hall.”

Migration Patterns:
Descendants of the Xing family who migrated from Dahuai Tree, Hongtong County, Shanxi Province, spread to regions such as Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, the Northeast (mainly through the migration to the northeast of China), and Guangdong. In 635 BCE, the State of Xing, with its capital in present-day Xingtai, Hebei Province, was destroyed by the State of Wei, and its descendants fled. Later, when the State of Wei was absorbed by the State of Jin, some Xing descendants settled in Jin. During this time, there were individuals named Xing Limugui in Qi and Xing Kuai in Jin, indicating that the Xing family name had spread to Shanxi, Hebei, and Shandong. During the Spring and Autumn period, the State of Xing was conquered by the State of Wei, and its descendants adopted the state name as their family name. The Duke of Zhou is revered as the ancestor of the Xing family.

Notes on the Family Name's Historical Context:#

• The Xing family name has a long history and a well-established lineage in China.
• Its distribution spans various regions, reflecting the family’s relocation and integration into different Chinese provinces and cultures.
• The historical events of the Zhou, Han, Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties had a significant impact on the migration and development of the Xing family name.