The Qiu Clan#

Clan Name: Qiu, Pronunciation: qiū

Regions Where the Qiu Clan Is Found#

Luoyang, Henan; Wuxing County, Zhejiang

Origins of the Qiu Clan#

The Qiu clan is one of the 77th most common surnames in China, with a significant population, accounting for approximately 0.27% of the Han Chinese population nationwide.

Origins of the Qiu Surname:#

1. Derived from the Jiang Clan: Qiu is a descendant of Jiang Taigong. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, Lü Shang (of the Jiang and Lü families) was granted the title of Duke of Qi for his role in assisting King Wu in overthrowing the Shang Dynasty. The capital of Qi was established in Yingqiu (now northeast of Zibo, Shandong), and he was known as Duke Taigong of Qi. Some of his descendants adopted the place name as their surname.
2. Also Derived from the Jiang Clan: Another branch of Jiang Taigong's descendants was granted the Qiu surname for their contributions.
3. Derived from the Si Clan: During the reign of Emperor Shaokang of the Xia Dynasty, one of his sons was enfeoffed in a region called? (north of present-day Zhecheng County, Henan). After the fall of the Xia Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty, this branch adopted the surname Zeng; later, some of their descendants changed to Qiu.
4. Derived from the Gui Clan: During the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Chen (founded by Duke Man of Hu) had a place called Wanqiu, and the state of Zhu (founded by a descendant of Zhuanxu named Jie, of the Cao clan) had a place called Ruqiu. Residents of these areas adopted the surname Qiu.
5. Surnames Adopted from Other Tribes: According to the "Book of the Later Han," the Wuhan tribe also had people with the surname Qiu. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, after Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang, the "Book of Wei" records that some Xianbei tribes changed their surnames from Qiu Lin to the Chinese character-only surname Qiu.

Migration and Spread:#

During the Pre-Qin period, the Qiu clan was mainly located in Shandong. They later migrated westward to Shaanxi. In the Qin and Han dynasties, they moved south to the Jianghuai region. A branch that settled in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, became particularly prominent, forming the famous Wuxing Qiu clan. By the Tang and Song dynasties, the Qiu clan had spread across North China, the Central Plains, and Sichuan. During the Song Dynasty, it became a prominent surname in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and central Fujian, with a wide distribution throughout the south. In the early Qing Dynasty, they also settled in Taiwan, becoming a well-known surname there. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, some in the south advocated for the restoration of the Qiu surname. Thus, both Qiu and other variants of the surname exist among modern Chinese people, though the majority still use Qiu. Today, the Qiu clan has a population of nearly 3.8 million, making it the 65th most common surname in China, accounting for about 0.3% of the national population.

Notable People with the Qiu Surname:#

Qiu Jun (1421–1495): Also known as Zhongshen, Shengan, Yufeng, and Qiongtai, and also referred to as the "Hermit of Haishan," Qiu Jun lived in Qiongshan, Hainan. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his mother and studied diligently. He was exceptionally intelligent, becoming the top scorer in the local examinations at the age of 17 and later becoming a high-ranking official, serving as the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion. He authored hundreds of books, including "Shishi Zhenggang," "Daxue Yanyi Bu," "Jiali Lijie," "Qiongtai Shiwendi Gao," "Yingyu Tongzhi," and the play "Toubi Ji," earning the reputation of being a literary genius. After his death, the emperor granted him a proper burial and posthumously titled him "Wenzhuang."