The Zou Clan#

Surname: Zou, pronounced as “zōu”.

Distribution of the Zou Clan**#

The main area of the Zou Clan is FanYang Commandery. FanYang Commandery was established in the seventh year of the Huangchu era of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period. Its administrative center was located in Ji County, which corresponds to the areas of present-day Changping and Fangshan in Beijing, as well as Zhuoxian in Hebei Province.

Origins of the Zou Clan#

The origin of the “Zou” surname can be traced to several sources:

1. Taking the name of a state as the surname: According to “Shuowen Jiezi,” during the early Spring and Autumn period, there was a small state called Zhulou, which was a vassal of the Lu state and was located in present-day Zou County, Shandong. During the Warring States period, Duke Mu of Lu renamed Zhulou to “Zou.” The descendants of this state adopted “Zou” as their surname. Later, this state was conquered by the Chu state.
2. Deriving from the Zi surname: As recorded in “Yuanhe Xingzuan,” the Zou surname also originated from the descendants of Duke Min of Song during the Spring and Autumn period. A certain ancestor, named Zhengkaofu, was granted a fief in Zou County, and his descendants also took “Zou” as their surname.
3. Originating from the Si surname: Some believe the Zou surname comes from the descendants of Goujian, the king of Yue. In the 11th century BCE, Duke Ping of Zhou granted the surrounding areas of the Shang state to Wei Ziqi, the younger brother of King Zhou of Shang, to establish the Song state, with its capital in Shangqiu. The fifth-generation descendant, Shuliangge, adopted the name of the fief, “Zou,” as his surname. This branch of the Zou clan is known as the Shandong Zou clan.
4. Originating from the Cao surname: In ancient times, there was a state called Zhulou, which was later renamed Zou by Duke Mu of Lu during the Warring States period. After the fall of the Zou state to the Chu state, its descendants also adopted the “Zou” surname and became part of the Shandong Zou clan.
5. Descendants of Chi You: According to some records, after the Yellow Emperor defeated Chi You, he relocated his people to the area of Zoutu and named them the Zoutu clan.

Migration and Distribution

According to the Zou clan's genealogy and related documents, the Zou clan initially developed and thrived in their homeland in present-day Shandong. During the Qin and Han dynasties, a branch of the clan moved to FanYang and became a prominent family there. After the Western Han dynasty, the FanYang Zou clan gradually migrated south to Zoufang in Henan and became a powerful faction. During the Han dynasty, a Zou named Zou Ting served as the magistrate of Xiangyang and settled there; some of his descendants moved to Yongzhou. During the Eastern Jin dynasty and the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, due to wars, many aristocratic families from the Central Plains migrated south, and some Zou clan members followed. In the early Tang dynasty, Chen Zheng and Chen Yuan were sent to Fujian to establish Zhangzhou, bringing some Zou clan members with them. At the end of the Tang dynasty, Zou Yuan fled the chaos of war from present-day Anhui to Fujian, and his descendants settled in various places in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi. During the Southern Song dynasty, a Zou named Zou Yinglong participated in politics in Taining. Later, some Zou clan members migrated to Guangdong.

Hall Names (Tanghao)

1. Jieshi Hall: Zou Yan from the Warring States period was well-versed in the principles of yin-yang, the rise and fall of nations, and the cycle of prosperity and decline. King Zhao of Yan invited talented individuals and built the Jieshi Palace to accommodate Zou Yan.
2. Fengjian Hall: Zou Ji from the Warring States period observed that King Wei of Qi did not like to listen to advice from others, so he advised him in a clever manner. King Wei accepted his suggestions and ordered that those who offered advice would receive rewards. Initially, many people were eager to offer advice, but after two months, fewer people did so, and after three months, almost no one offered any more. King Wei incorporated these suggestions and improved his governance, which was the result of Zou Ji’s advice. Therefore, the Zou clan is also known as the “Fengjian Hall.”
3. Fanyang Hall: During the Qin and Han dynasties, a branch of the Zou clan moved from present-day Shandong to FanYang and became a prominent family there; thus, they adopted “Fanyang” as their hall name.

Genealogical Records

• Jiangsu: Four volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Runzhou, Zhenjiang; six volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Runzhou, Zhenjiang; ten volumes of the revised Zou clan genealogy from Yunyang, Danyang; forty-eight volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Wujin; thirty-two volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Wujin; thirty-six volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Wuxi; one volume of the Zou clan branch genealogy from Xiaoshan, Changshu; two volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from FanYang.
• Zhejiang: Four volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Shaoxing; twelve volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Changshan; one volume of the Zou clan genealogy from Changshan (uncategorized).
• Anhui: Thirty volumes of the Zou clan genealogy from Tongcheng; seven volumes of the