Yin Surname#

Surname: Yin, pronounced as “yīn”.

Distribution of the Yin Surname#

• Nanyang Commandery: During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were many areas referred to as Nanyang. In the state of Lu, Nanyang meant the region south of Mount Tai and north of the Wen River. In the state of Jin, it referred to the area south of the Taihang Mountains and north of the Yellow River. During the Warring States period, part of Nanyang in the state of Wei became part of the state of Han (in 263 BCE, the Qin general Bai Qi attacked Han and captured Nanyang, separating the main body of Han from the Shangdang Commandery). The area south of the Funiu Mountains and north of the Han River was also called Nanyang and was divided between Han and Chu. The Nanyang Commandery was established in the 35th year of King Zhao of Qin (272 BCE) to conquer lands from Chu; its administrative center was in Wan County (present-day Nanyang, Henan). Later, General Bai Qi captured Nanyang again in the 44th year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, further separating Han from the Shangdang Commandery. During the Han dynasty, the Nanyang Commandery governed 26 counties, covering most of the area between Xiang County (south of the Xionger Mountains in Henan) and Yun County (north of the Dahong Mountains in Hubei). It gradually shrank in size over time.

• Sui Dynasty: The Nanyang Commandery was abolished in the 3rd year of the Kaihuang era (583 CE) and re-established in the 3rd year of the Daye era (607 CE). It was abolished again in the early Tang dynasty and, in the early Tianbao era (742 CE), the Dengzhou Nanyang Commandery was renamed Liangrang County (present-day Deng County, Henan).

• Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties: The administrative center of the Nanyang Prefecture was always in Nanyang, which corresponds to the Wan County of the Han dynasty and the present-day city of Nanyang, Henan.

• Shiping Commandery: Established during the Western Jin dynasty, its administrative center was in Kuaili (present-day Xingping, Shaanxi), governing the area around Xingping, Shaanxi.

Origins of the Yin Surname#

The Yin surname has the following origins:

1. It originates from the Ji surname, dating back to the Spring and Autumn period. It was derived from a descendant of Hou Ji, an agricultural official of Emperor Yao, who took the name of his fief as his surname.
2. Some Yin clans originated from states that were established by descendants of Emperor Yao.
3. Some Yin clans descended from other ethnic minorities and adopted Han Chinese surnames.

Migration and Distribution

The Yin surname does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. It originates from the Ji surname. During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a wise man named Guan Yi Wu from the state of Qi; he was a descendant of King Mu of Zhou and a renowned statesman who helped make Duke Huan of Qi one of the Five Hegemons. In the late Spring and Autumn period, Guan Yi Wu’s seventh-generation descendant fled to the state of Chu and was granted the title of Yin Dafu, with his fief located in Yin. Some of his descendants adopted the name of their fief as their surname. In ancient times, the south side of hills and the north side of rivers were called “yang,” while the north side of hills and the south side of rivers were called “yin.” It is said that a descendant of Yao was granted a fief at the northern foot of a large mountain and established the state of Yin; his descendants adopted the name of the state as their surname. Many prominent Yin clans came from Nanyang.

Present-day Distribution of the Yin Surname

The Yin surname can be found in various places, including:

• Wuwei, Lanzhou, and Qingyang in Gansu Province;
• Guangping County, Gu'an County, Leting County in Handan City, Baoding City, and Xushui County in Hebei Province;
• Jiezhou County, Pingyao City, and Ruicheng County in Shanxi Province;
• Taoyuan in Feicheng County and Yinjia Village in Laizhou City in Shandong Province;
• Houhe in Weihui City and Shamen Village in Liulin Town, Zhengzhou City in Henan Province;
• Changyuan County in Xinxiang City and Luoning County in Luoyang City in Henan Province;
• Ma’anshan and Wuhu in Anhui Province;
• Jurong County in Zhenjiang City and Fengxin County in Jiangsu Province;
• Yichun in Jiangxi Province;
• Yongzhou in Hunan Province;
• Ninghua County in Sanming City and the Sinan region in Fujian Province;
• Neijiang in Sichuan Province;
• Beilou Village in Ningjin, Hebei Province, among other places.

Hall Names (Tanghao):

• Nanyang Hall: Named after the historical significance of Nanyang.
• Shiping Hall: Named after the historical significance of Shiping.
• Eryou Hall: Further information is needed for this hall name.

Genealogical Patterns

• Yin surname genealogical patterns include:
  • For the Yin clan after Zhu Dan: “Ke Qing Si Yu Yuan Fa Zu (birth) Qi Guan Jun… Zhao □ Chang.”
  • For the Yin clan in Sinan, Guizhou: “De Ze Cheng Zong Xu Mou Hua Xian Da Zhang Jia Mo Xu Yin Jiu Dai Shi Dai Li Gang Chang.”
  • For the Yin clan in Neijiang, Sichuan: “Shi Dai Cong Wen Xue.”