| Zhang,Wang,Li,Zhao,Qian,Sun…Everyone has its | | | | place,later people there would used the name of place |
| surname.Well,what’s the origin of surname? | | | | as their surnames. |
| Nowadays,most of the Chinese surnames came from | | | | Four----Took name of village or pavilion as surname. |
| thousands of years ago.After researching their | | | | Five----Took place that lived as surname. |
| history,we know the surnames we have today came | | | | Six----Took ancestor’s name as surname. |
| from about 12 categories. | | | | Seven----Took order as surname.For example,in |
| One----In Chinese pronunciation,surname is Xing | | | | China,the eldest is called Bo or Meng,the second one is |
| Shi.You see there are two words.But do you know in | | | | Zhong,the third is Shu,the fourth is Ji. |
| ancient time,Xing was different from Shi.With the | | | | Eight----Took official position as surname.Such as |
| development of history,Xing was regarded as Shi.For | | | | Sima,Situ,Sikong,Sishi,Sikou. |
| example,in Mother-authority society,people took | | | | Nine----Took craft as surname.Wu came frome |
| mothers’ name as surname. | | | | witchcraft.Tao is from pottery. |
| Two----Took name of state as surname.Such as the | | | | Ten----Some surnames came from minorities. |
| states in Spring and Autumn,Warring Period,they were | | | | Eleven----Some used the posthumous names as the |
| Qi, Lu, Jin, Song, Zheng, Wu, Yue, Qin, Chu, Wei, Han, | | | | surnames. |
| Zhao, Wei, Yan, Chen, Cai, Cao, Hu, Xu.Now they | | | | Twelve----Some change their surnames as they were |
| became common surnames. | | | | given other surnames by emperors or they had to |
| Three----Took name of county as surname.In ancient | | | | avoid some bad things. |
| times,if monarches or aristocrats stayed one | | | | |