First, openness.
The so-called openness refers to the extension of surnames and the completeness and richness of the connotation of the name system. As the Chinese nation is dominated by the Han nationality, the number of surnames has almost increased by leaps and bounds in the process of social development and ethnic integration. There were 16 surnames in Yanhuang period, 293 surnames in Tang dynasty, 503 surnames in early Song dynasty and 2635 surnames in Ming dynasty. In modern times, according to the latest statistics, there are 1 1969 surnames in China (some of them have died out with the development of the times). Among them, there are 5,233 single-character surnames, 4,329 double-character surnames, 3-character surnames 1 5, 569 four-character surnames, 96 five-character surnames, 22 six-character surnames, 7 seven-character surnames, 3 eight-character surnames and 9-character surnames1one.
Another aspect of opening up is the gradual improvement of the name system and the gradual enrichment of its connotation. Surnames and surnames were produced in ancient society. In order to distinguish members of society, as a sign, names also came into being. "The Book of Rites" records: "Therefore, the son was born in March, and his father named him." "Yi Li talks about the public" said: "Men and women are given names in March, so they are young; At the age of 20, there is a way to be a father. Friends and the like can't call them by their first names, so add words to the crown. " In ancient times, people were addressed by numbers besides their names, which can be roughly divided into their own names, aliases, law numbers, room numbers, posthumous title, posthumous title and so on. Each part of the surname and first name system has its own function. Surnames are used to clarify blood relationship, but surnames are different. The role of words is positive, "words show virtue, numbers boast people." This naming system was first formed in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Gu's Record of the Day has a clear exposition.
Second, the hierarchy.
Tuoba (Yuan) Hong, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, was the first to mark the surname artificially. Tuoba (Yuan) Hong forced his Xianbei brothers to complete the process of at least superficial sinicization in the shortest time. Moreover, a series of incredible and drastic reforms have been carried out, one of which is the surname reform. Tuoshi (Yuan) Macro divides the world surnames into three, six and nine. And set standards for each level. As far as Tuoba (Yuan) Hong's pioneering work is concerned, whoever holds the political power in the future will have the status of aristocrat, and one person will get the word and the chicken and dog will ascend to heaven. In the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin issued a letter directly, upgrading the original second-class Li surname to the first class and squeezing Wang Xing into the second class. Emperors of past dynasties have basically been like this. This hierarchical system of surnames has caused the phenomenon of changing surnames, giving surnames and avoiding surnames, which are rare in the history of world culture. There are certainly many surnames involved. Tuoba (Yuan) Hong's surname reform involves more than 100 surnames.
Third, regionality.
The so-called regionality means that surnames are often distributed geographically throughout the country. For example, the "five families and seven surnames" formed in the Tang Dynasty were Li (Longxi, Zhaojun), Cui (Qinghe, Boling), Lu (Fanyang), Zheng (Xingyang) and Wang (Taiyuan). Morgan, an anthropologist and cultural historian, once quoted a letter from his friend Robert Hart in Ancient Society, saying, "In many parts of China, there are very large villages with only one surname. For example, look at three villages in one area, each with 3000 people. The first village is surnamed Ma, the second village is surnamed Yang, and the third village is surnamed Niu. " This phenomenon is very common in China, and this self-proclaimed village surname is exclusive.
Fourth, multi-source.
The so-called multi-source refers to the common surnames in China (according to the research of the National Nature Foundation, surnames with a population of 0. 1% are called common surnames, with a total of 129 surnames. 87% of the total population), most of which have multiple sources. For the convenience of explanation, it is represented in the form of a chart.
Therefore, for thousands of years, the origin of China's surname is varied, and opinions vary, but it can be summarized as follows:
First, in matrilineal clan society, the mother is the surname. Legend has it that in ancient times, Shennong's mother's name was female Deng, so many surnames were beside female characters at that time, such as Gu, Ji, Jiang, Gui, Si and so on.
2. Take the place of birth and residence as the surname. Legend has it that in ancient times, Yu Shun came out of the ruins of Yao and took Yao as his surname. During the Spring and Autumn Period, doctors in Qi Huangong lived in East China, South China, West China and North China respectively. He takes Dong Guo and Nan Guo as surnames. Dr. Zheng lives in Ximen, so he takes Ximen as his surname.
Third, take the ancient name as the surname. During the Yu, Xia and Shang Dynasties, there was a kingdom of Wang Mang, whose descendants were surnamed Wang. In Shang Dynasty, there was a country called Ruan, and its descendants were called Ruan.
Fourth, take the fief as the surname. Zhao Fu was named Zhao Cheng by Zhou Wuwang, and his descendants were surnamed Zhao; King Zhao of Zhou's illegitimate son was sealed in Weng's land, so his surname was Weng; His son is surnamed Hou, and his descendants are surnamed Xing.
5. Take the official position as the surname. There were five meanings in ancient times, namely, Situ, Sima, Sikong, Shi Si and Sikou, and their descendants all took these official positions as their surnames.
Sixth, the son of heaven gives the surname, taking the number as the surname. For example, Zhou Muwang died of a favorite concubine, and in order to express his grief, he gave his descendants the name of pain; King Hui of Zhou pursued Hui after his death, and his descendants were surnamed Hui.
Seven, take the words of the ancestors as the surname. For example, his son is strict and his word is especially, and his grandson's surname is especially; Lu's son Zi Zi was named Zang, and his descendants were named Zang.
Eight, because of myths and legends as surnames. Legend has it that there was a Yan Na, who was descended from the dragon in the sky, and his descendants took the dragon as their surname. Legend has it that there is a bluebird among the immortals, and later generations also have a bluebird.
Change one's surname because of taboo or for some reason. For example, during the Warring States Period, the descendants of King Xiang of Qi were originally named Tian, and Qi was destroyed by Qin. Their descendants dare not call Tian, but change their names. Emperor Han Ming taboo the word "Zhuang", all surnamed Zhuang changed their surname to "Yan". Judy, the prince of Yan in the Ming Dynasty, attacked Nanking in the name of Huang Zicheng, overthrew Wen Jian and became the emperor (that is, the founder of the Ming Dynasty). At that time, it was named Jingnan, and the eunuch Ma was given the surname Zheng for his meritorious service in Jingnan. Later, he changed his name to Zheng He.
X. With the development of history and the complexity of nationalities, some surnames are transliterated in national languages. For example, the descendants of Shan Yu, the leader of Xiongnu, have many surnames of Shan Yu. It can be seen that the surname is a symbol, not as mysterious and sacred as the defenders of the feudal patriarchal clan system advertised.
1 1 Take last name as last name. Surnames were produced as symbols of clans and tribes during the clan commune period, and some descendants directly inherited them as surnames. In matriarchal clan society, the mother is the surname, so many surnames were beside the female word at that time. Such as: Ji, Jiang, Yan, Yao and so on.
12) takes the country name as the surname. As we are familiar with the vassal States in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period: Qi, Lu, Jin, Song, Zheng, Wu, Yue, Qin, Chu, Wei, Han, Zhao, Wei, Yan, Chen, Cai, Cao, Hu and Xu, these have become common surnames today.
13) is named after the city. A city is a fief, which is allocated by the emperor and the prince to ministers of the same surname or the opposite sex. Some of their descendants or people living in these fiefs will continue to use their names. For example, the scooter was divided into a fief in the Soviet Union (now west of Linzhang County, Hebei Province), and its descendants were surnamed Su. According to statistics, there are nearly 200 surnames with Yi as their surname. Due to the long history, some compound surnames no longer exist.
14) Take the township and pavilion names as surnames. Today's common surnames are Pei, Lu, Yan, Hao and Ouyang.
15) takes the place of residence as the surname. Among these surnames, there are many compound surnames, generally with the words Qiu, Men, Xiang, Lu, Li, Ye, Guan, etc., indicating the place of residence in different environments.
16) takes the words or names of ancestors as surnames. There are many surnames in this article. According to statistics, there are five or six hundred surnames, including nearly 200 compound surnames. For example, Zhou Pingwang's illegitimate child, Lin Kai, was handed down from the Woods. In Song Dynasty, the son of Daigong filled the stone, and Sun took his grandfather's name as his surname. In the Han Dynasty, my father changed to Huangfu.
17) is the second from the bottom. A family takes the surname in the order of brothers. For example, the eldest brother is called Bo or Meng, the second brother is called Zhong, the third brother is called Uncle, and the fourth brother is called Ji. Descendants follow their surnames, indicating the order in the clan. However, there are exceptions: Father Zhuang and Brother Zhuang's Duke Lu Zhuang were originally the harmony of Zhong. Because he committed the crime of regicide, his descendants changed their names to Meng or. 18) takes the official position as the surname. Such as Stuart, Sima, Sikong, Shi Si and Scott. But we can also distinguish some surnames from official surnames, such as Ji, Jane, Cang, Jun and Chu.
19) focuses on skills. Such as witches, fortune tellers, potters, craftsmen, butchers, etc.
20) The surnames brought by the integration of ancient ethnic minorities into the Han nationality.
2 1) Take posthumous title as the surname.
22) change your surname and avoid it because you give it.
Function 1: Surnames hide the genetic code.
"The purpose of this surname survey is not limited to counting the number of surnames. In fact, surnames are a bridge connecting cultural inheritance and biological inheritance. "
Yuan Yida explained that for a long time, Chinese surnames have followed male surnames, but from a genetic point of view, only men have Y chromosomes, so Y chromosomes are passed on to male descendants with surnames, and people with the same surnames also have the same type of Y chromosomes and their genetic genes.
"In the survey, we found that many genetic diseases only spread among people with the same surname. Counting the number and distribution of names is very helpful for studying human genetics. " Yuan Yida told reporters.
Role 2: The same surname is not necessarily a family.
In China, people always ask their names when they meet. If you find that it is the same surname, you will feel very kind. They think they were a family 500 years ago. "In fact, this is not credible. After investigation, we found that a big surname may have hundreds of origins, such as Li, the largest surname in China, some from Yuan and some from Zhao.
However, the name has become the adhesive of the cohesion of the Chinese nation. "Many overseas Chinese have to spend money to repair their genealogy and seek their roots. In the process of restoring their genealogy, their contact with the mainland has also greatly promoted the local economy. "
Function 3: Chinese surnames have the most connotation.
Yuan Yida said that in fact, surnames are an important symbol of cultural heritage not only in China, but also in the world. However, there is no country in the world whose surname is as complete and connotative as China.
"For example, although Japan has a surname, it has few cultural connotations." Yuan Yida explained that before Meiji Restoration in Japan, there were only a few surnames. In order to reform, Emperor Meiji asked all the people in the country to have surnames, so in just a few years, more than 80,000 surnames appeared, and most of them were expressed by land names, such as Matsushita, Inoue and Tanaka. Therefore, it is difficult for Japanese scholars to associate Japanese surnames with human inheritance.
In the United States, although there are fixed surnames, more than 200 years of history cannot form cultural inheritance. Therefore, American scholars' textual research on natives is mainly determined by skin color, hair color and eye color.
In Britain, surnames are relatively stable, and their sources mainly include borrowing Christian names directly, or adding affixes to Christian names to indicate the son or descendants of so-and-so, and adding affixes before Christian names to indicate identity. There are also names, landforms or environmental features that reflect identity or occupation. As for the surnames that appeared after the merger of the two surnames, although they appeared later than the Christian names, the number was much more. In the royal family, "Edward" was used as the surname in the old days, and later a newer "Windsor" appeared.
In continental Europe, surnames are usually used to distinguish places of birth. During World War II, the European army once divided soldiers with the same surname into a group to increase the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the troops.
Hundreds of Surnames, compiled and widely circulated in the Northern Song Dynasty, contains only 438 surnames. Among thousands of surnames compiled in the Ming Dynasty, 1968 surnames were included. According to the China Surname Dictionary, the surnames of 56 ethnic groups in China have reached 1 1969. The China Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Surnames, edited by Dou Xuetian, has an ancient and modern surname of 12000. According to the latest data, there are 4 100 surnames in China.