The Ruan Clan#

Clan Name: Ruan, pronounced as “ruǎn”

Distribution of the Ruan Clan**#

The Ruan clan is primarily found in Chenliu County, Henan Province.

Origins of the Ruan Clan#

The origins of the Ruan clan can be traced to several different pathways:

1. Derivation from the Yan Clan: The Ruan clan originated from the Yan family, specifically from the state of Ruan during the Shang Dynasty, descended from the Gao Tao lineage. This is the main origin of the Ruan clan in China.
2. Derivation from Place Names: Some Ruan families took their surname from the names of places, such as the Jiuruan Commandery during the Qin Dynasty.
3. Change from the Shi Clan: According to the “Southern History,” during the late Eastern Jin Dynasty, some people with the Shi surname changed to the Ruan surname.
4. Derivation from the Ji Clan: During the Spring and Autumn Period, a nobleman from the state of Zheng named Feng and his officials changed their surname for various reasons.
5. Derivation from the Ruanfu Clan: This branch of the Ruan clan originated from the royal lineage of the Annam Kingdom during the Ming Dynasty; the compound surname was simplified.
6. Change from the Li Clan: In the 11th and 12th centuries, during the Li Dynasty in Vietnam (later known as the Later Li Dynasty), the Chen Shoudu usurped the throne. The usurping emperor decreed that all Li people in Vietnam change their surname to Ruan, significantly increasing the population of the Ruan clan.

Migration and Spread

The Ruan clan originated in Jingchuan, Gansu, and gradually spread to Shaanxi, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, and other regions during the Zhou and Qin dynasties. Notable figures from this period include the Ruan family from the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Ruan Wengzhong from the Qin Dynasty.

During the Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties, the Ruan clan flourished in Chenliu County, with many prominent individuals. During the Yongjia chaos, Ruan Fu and his relatives fled south to avoid the conflict. Ruan Fu was killed on the way, and his family, along with Ruan Yu, arrived in present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu. Ruan Yu chose to live in seclusion in the Yan Mountains of Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang). Some Ruan families also migrated to Hepu, Guangxi.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Ruan clan continued to produce many notable figures in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. They migrated to Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan for various reasons, including official positions, fleeing chaos, or seeking better opportunities. Some Ruan people also moved to Vietnam, where the clan remains a significant one today.

Another branch of the Ruan clan originated from Xu Wen of Hepu during the Southern Song Dynasty. After a major defeat in the conquest of the Linyi Kingdom (in present-day central and southern Vietnam), his descendants settled in Suixi. After the Sui Dynasty unified China, some Ruan people returned to the north. The Ruan clan began to settle in Fujian during the Tang Dynasty; according to the “Ruan Clan Genealogy,” Ruan An from Chenliu County served as an educational official in Shaowu in the fourth year of the Tianfu era (970) and later moved to Sui'an. Six generations later, Ruan Wenfu moved to Ninghua, Fujian.

During the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods, some Ruan families moved to Sichuan and Guangdong. In the Northern Song Dynasty, a branch of the Ruan clan moved to Wuxian (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu), and a member of this branch, Ruan Dengbing, became the highest-ranking scholar (zhuangyuan) in Chinese history. Another branch from Gushi, Guangzhou (now in Henan), moved to Jiankang (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu).

In the early Ming Dynasty, Ruan people from Shanxi were relocated to various places due to official assignments and fleeing chaos. After the Qing Dynasty, some Ruan families from Shandong moved to the Three Northeast Provinces. Today, the Ruan clan is widely distributed throughout China, with a high population density in provinces such as Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, and Hubei. The Ruan clan currently ranks 189th in terms of population in China.

Notable People with the Ruan Surname

• Ruan Yuanyu: (c. 165–212), a literary figure of the Eastern Han Dynasty, one of the “Seven Scholars of Jian'an.” He was from Chenliu (present-day Weishi, Henan) and served as an advisor to Cao Cao, specializing in poetry and writing official documents. His works include the “Ruan Yuanyu Collection.”
• Ruan Ji: (210–263), a literary figure and nobleman of the Wei Dynasty, one of the “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.” He was well-versed in various books, especially the works of Zhuangzi and Laozi, and his works include the “Ruan Sizong Collection.”
• Ruan Lingyu: (1910–1935), an early Chinese film star, originally named Ruan Fenggen and styled Ruan Yuying. She was born in Nanlang, Xiangshan, Guangdong, on April 26, 1910, and began her acting career in Shanghai after her father died when she was young. She entered the film industry to support her mother.