- Yu (余) (surname)
Yu (Simplified Chinese: 余, Traditional Chinese: 余 or 餘) is one of the
Chinese family names . It is listed as the 90th surname in the "Hundred Surnames". It is often translated to Yee in English.History
First found in the
Spring and Autumn Period of China, the Chancellor of Qin known as Yao Yu, Yu is a typical name in the southern area ofChina . The place of origin of this name is likely to be in Feng Xiang (鳳翔),Shaanxi to the area of Xian Yang (咸陽). It is first said to appear in theHan Dynasty . The Yu people moved into the county of Xi (歙縣),Anhui . After that, the surname has spread quite well in the south China, but much weaker in the northern China. Many of the Yu moved to southern China, into counties likeZhejiang ,Jiangsu andJiangxi . In the time ofSouthern and Northern Dynasties , the Yu people have already became a tribe in the prefecture of Xin An (新安郡),Luoyang . Because of the war in the north at that time, people moved to the south, in places likeHunan andHubei .It was afterTang Dynasty , when the surname finally became popular, and is very famous in the southeast area of China. At this moment, people moved into other places likeFujian andGuangdong . In the later part of the Tang Dynasty, Yu in the northern part became popular too.Alternate History:
Yu is an ancient surname in China. The ancestors of the surname were closely linked with ancient sage-king of Yu Shun.
When Yu Shun was getting old, he took his initiative to hand over the state power to Xia Yu. And Xia Yu made his son Shang Jun the duke of Yu (it is now in Yucheng, Henan Province) with the founding of Yu kingdom. Later, the descendents of Shang Jun began to take the kingdom as their surname, according to the overseas edition of People¡¯s Daily on Thursday.
Another Yu family was originated from surname Ji. According to history records, Zhou Wu Wang (1,134-1,115BC) overthrown the Shang Dynasty and made many dukes. He made later generations of his second uncle Zhong Yong the Yu kingdom (now in the northeast of Pinglu in Shanxi). Afterwards, the descendents of Zhong Yong bear the name of the kingdom as their surname.
After the surname coming into being, Yu people lived in Kaifeng and Chenliu areas in Henan for a long period of time, becoming big families. After Tang (618-907AD) and Song (960-1127 AD) dynasties, Yu families started to move to Huiji (now in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province). [http://english.people.com.cn/200512/15/eng20051215_228253.html]
Prominent people
*Yao Yu, the Chancellor of Qin known as Yao Yu.
*Jiyuan Yu , a moral philosopher.
*Yu Hua , contemporary novelist and writer
*Shawn Yue ,Hong Kong actor/singer
*Patrick Yu
*Eu Tong Sen
*Audrey Eu
*Dennis Yu
*James Yee
*Leland Yee
*Adam Yu External links
* [http://www.jpwz.com/bg5/chinese/xingshi/xingshishow.asp?id=93 History of the Surname 'Yu' (Chinese)]
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