Zhang, Wang, Li, Zhao, Qian, Sun... Each of us has our own surname. But how were these surnames generated?
In ancient times, during the prehistoric era and the first three Chinese dynasties, "xing" (surname) and "shi" (clan name) were not the same thing. The "shi" was derived from the "xing". Starting from the Han Dynasty, surnames and clan names merged into one. Most of the surnames we use in modern China have been passed down for thousands of years. Examining their origins, they can roughly be divided into 12 categories:
1) Using the surname as a clan name. Surnames originated as symbols of tribal clans during the period of the clan commune, and some descendants directly inherited them as clan names. In matrilineal societies, the mother's name was used as the surname, so many surnames from that time include the female radical. For example: Ji, Jiang, Si, Yao, etc.
2) Using the name of a state as a surname. Such as the familiar feudal states from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods: Qi, Lu, Jin, Song, Zheng, Wu, Yue, Qin, Chu, Wei, Han, Zhao, Wei, Yan, Chen, Cai, Cao, Hu, Xu, etc., all of which have become common surnames today.
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