The Lüqiu Clan#

Clan Name: Lüqiu, pronounced as lǘ qiū

Areas of Distribution of the Lüqiu Clan#

• Dunqiu Commandery: Dunqiu County was established in the early Han Dynasty, with its jurisdiction covering the area southwest of present-day Qingfeng, Henan Province.
• Zhu State: Also known as Zou State or Zhu Commandery, it was an ancient state during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, with its territory around present-day Zou County, Shandong Province. During the Spring and Autumn period, the Chu State conquered the Zhu State and relocated its ruler to the area around present-day Huanggang, Hubei Province, which was then called Zhuyi. The Chu State established Zhuxian in this area during the Qin Dynasty, but the county was abolished by the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Origins of the Lüqiu Clan#

The Lüqiu surname has the following origins:

1. Derived from a place name: It originated from the Lüqiu district of the Zhu State during the Spring and Autumn period, where people took the name of their residence as their surname.
2. Derived from the Jiang surname: It originated from the fiefdom of Ying, a high-ranking official of the Qi State during the Spring and Autumn period; people took the name of the fiefdom as their surname.

Founder of the Clan

Lüqiu Ying was a nobleman who was granted a fiefdom in the Lüqiu district of the Zhu State during the Spring and Autumn period. His descendants adopted the name of the fiefdom as their surname. According to the ancient text "Shangyou Lu," a nobleman named Lüqiu from the Zhu State was granted this fiefdom, and his family prospered, leading to the formation of the Lüqiu surname. When the Zhu State was conquered by the Chu State, the Lüqiu noble family fled to the Qi State. During the Spring and Autumn period, a notable figure named Lüqiu Ying emerged from the Qi State, and his family once again prospered. However, his descendants remembered their origins as nobles of the Zhu State, so their family crest was recorded as "Zhu Commandery."

Migration and Distribution

The Lüqiu clan is a very ancient Han Chinese surname. It is not among the top 300 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan Province. In the Song Dynasty version of the "Hundred Family Surnames," it was ranked 438th.

The Lüqiu clan was initially active in the Shandong region and became a prominent family during the Han and Tang dynasties, with their ancestral home being Dunqiu Commandery. During the Tang and Song dynasties, they were also found in Shaanxi and Henan provinces. Today, there are small populations of Lüqiu clans in Beijing, Shanghai, Japan, and other places. The geographical location of the Zhu State was in the present-day Zoucheng and Tengzhou cities in Shandong Province, with Zoucheng being the main area. The capital of the Zhu State, "Zhuyi," was located in Nanzhou Village, southeast of present-day Qufu, Shandong Province.

The Lüqiu surname is relatively rare. According to historical records, Cao An (a descendant of Zhuanxu) was the fifth son of Lu Zhong. During the reign of King Wu of Zhou, his descendant Cao Jie was granted a fiefdom in the Zhu State and established the Zhu State, which was a state of the Cao clan with the rank of a viscount. During the Western Zhou period, the Zhu State was often oppressed by the Lu State and sought protection from the Jin State. When Duke Mu of Lu ruled, the Zhu State was renamed Zou State and became a vassal state. The Zhu State gradually became powerful during the Spring and Autumn period but was eventually conquered by the Chu State. The last record of the Zhu State can be found in the "Mencius · Teng Wengong."

Clan Crests

• Zhuzheng Tang: Named after the state where the clan originated.
• Dunqiu Tang: Named after the ancestral home of the clan.

Notable Figures with the Lüqiu Surname

• Lüqiu?n: (Birth and death years unknown), a prominent official of the Qi State during the Warring States period.
• Lü Kuai: (Birth and death years unknown), also known as Lüqiu Zi, a native of the Wei State and a famous Yin-Yang scholar of the Warring States period, a descendant of Lüqiu Ying. According to the "Han Shu · Yiwenzhi," Lüqiu Zi wrote thirteen books, but they have been lost.
• Lüqiu Chong: (Date of birth unknown – died 311 AD), styled Binqing, from Gaoping (northwest of present-day Jinxiang, Shandong). A famous poet of the Western Jin Dynasty, known for his musical taste, insight, and erudition; Wang Yan praised him as highly talented. Two of his poems, "Poems Responding to the Imperial Edict on the Third Day of the Third Month" and "Poems on Recluse Life," are preserved, as are other works in "Yiwenglju" and "Chuxueji." Another work, "On the Attire of Empress Wudao Yang," is recorded in the "Jin Shu · Liji."
• Lüqiu Jun: (Birth and death years unknown), from Chengdu, Yizhou (present-day Chengdu, Sichuan). A famous literati of the Tang Dynasty.