The Jin Family Name#

Family Name: Jin, Pronunciation: jīn

Distribution of the Jin Family Name#

• Pengcheng Commandery: In the first year of the Dijie era of the Western Han Dynasty, the Chu Kingdom was renamed Pengcheng Commandery. During the second year of the Zhanghe era of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was turned into Pengcheng State, with its administrative center in Pengcheng. In the Southern Song Dynasty, it was again reorganized as a commandery.
• Jingzhao Commandery: In the first year of the Taichu era of the Han Dynasty, the position of Right Minister was renamed Jingzhao Yin, and Jingzhao Commandery was established as one of the three important regions of China, with its capital in Chang'an. This commandery continued to exist during the Three Kingdoms period.

Origins of the Jin Family Name#

The origin of the "Jin" surname can be traced to several sources:

1. It is said to descend from Jin Rishi Dan, the son of the Xiu Tu King of the Xiongnu. According to the "Records of the Former Qin," Jin Rishi Dan served Emperor Wu of Han. Because the Xiu Tu people were considered to be in line with the golden principles of heaven, he was granted the Jin surname as a reward.
2. There is a legend that in ancient times, there was a state called Jin, and its people adopted the Jin surname. It is also mentioned that Jin Di, a minister of Fuxi, was a descendant of this people (as recorded in "Xing Kao").
3. Some believe the Jin surname originates from the descendants of the Yellow Emperor's own family. According to "Fengsu Tongyi," after the Yellow Emperor's son, Shaohao, died, he was revered as the great emperor of the west. Since the west is associated with the element of metal in the five-element theory, his descendants adopted the Jin surname.
4. During the Western Han Dynasty, Xiang Bo was granted the Liu surname. To avoid the taboo associated with the name of the Wu Yue King (since "Liu" has the same pronunciation as a certain term), his descendants changed their surname to Jin.
5. In the Ming Dynasty, Mongol princes such as Yesen Tugan, as well as Yuan officials like Ersentuk and Alhat Shili, were granted the Jin surname. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty also granted the Jin surname to seven indigenous Taiwanese tribes.
6. Some Jin surnames resulted from surname changes due to other circumstances. For example, during the Ming Dynasty, the Yuan dynasty's Jin Lüxiang and Qing dynasty's Jin Shengtan both changed their surnames. Additionally, some ethnic groups such as the Jingpo, Henggun, Daur, and other ethnic minorities adopted the Jin surname.
7. In Korea, the Jin surname originated from the "Wang" surname. In 1392, General Li Cheng-gye of the Goryeo Dynasty overthrew the king and established the Joseon Dynasty. The Joseon king sought to exterminate the Goryeo royal family with Mongol ancestry, so they changed their surname to Jin, Quan, or Yu. Another branch of the Jin surname stems from Jin Ri? of the Western Han Dynasty. In the second year of the Yuanshou era (121 BCE), Emperor Wu of Han sent General Huo Qubing to fight against the Xiongnu and captured a golden statue used for worship. Jin Ri?, the son of the Xiu Tu King, was granted the Jin surname for his loyalty.

Spread and Development of the Jin Family Name

The Jin surname originated mainly in Shandong, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu. During the Spring and Autumn period, the state of Tan (north of present-day Tancheng, Shandong) was established by the Jin people (a branch descended from Shaohao). It was later conquered by the state of Wu, and some of its people migrated south to Pengcheng (now in Jiangsu), where they became a prominent family. During the Western Han Dynasty, Jin Rishi Dan of the Xiongnu joined the Han dynasty, and his relatives settled in the Xi'an area of Shaanxi. Two of his sons held important positions in the Han court, and they, along with Zhang Tang, a prominent minister of the Western Han Dynasty, were known as the "Jin Zhang" clan, representing a family of meritorious officials. The Jin surname appeared in other regions such as Gansu during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. For example, Jin Zuo, a general of the Northern Qi Dynasty, was from Anding (north of present-day Jingchuan, Gansu).

During the Tang Dynasty, the Jin surname became one of the three prominent surnames in the Yizhou Shu Commandery (present-day Chengdu, Sichuan) and the Hexi Commandery (present-day Linfen, Shanxi). The Jin surname flourished during the Five Dynasties period, especially in the southern regions of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, due to name changes to avoid taboos. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, some people from the north migrated south to avoid military conflicts. In the Ming Dynasty, there were migrations from Shanxi to Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, and Hubei. Many ethnic minorities also received the Jin surname during this time, leading to the emergence of new branches of the family. From the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, people with the Jin surname began to move to Taiwan and later to other overseas regions.

The main areas where the Jin surname is prevalent today include Henan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hubei, Sichuan, and Shanghai. These six provinces account for about 62% of the total Han population with the Jin surname in China. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, some Jin people moved to present-day Gansu. For example, Jin Zuo, a general of the Northern Qi Dynasty, was from Anding. During the Tang Dynasty, the Jin surname was one of the three prominent surnames in