The origin of the surname "Yu"

The surname Yu originated from the royal family of the Western Zhou Dynasty. It is said in history that King Wu of Zhou granted his third son Shu Yu (now Tai Town, northwest of Biyang, Henan Province), and his descendants took Guo as their surname. This group of people with the surname Yu is the authentic version of the surname Yu. In addition, according to some genealogical records of the Yu surname, during the Jin Dynasty and the Sixteenth Kingdom, people with the Yu surname living in Donghai County (now Tancheng, Shandong) moved north with the Xianbei Tuoba tribe, followed Xianbei customs, and changed their surnames without being embarrassed by the Yu family. Until the Tuoba tribe established the Northern Wei Dynasty, this group of Wuyiyu people who had changed their surnames followed a large number of Xianbei people southward. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, the original surnames were restored as usual. In the Tang Dynasty, there was a family with the compound surname Chunyu who changed their surname to Yu. According to legend, the distant ancestor of the Chunyu surname was Emperor Yan. He was enfeoffed in Chunyu (now Anqiu, Shandong Province) two weeks ago and worshiped Emperor Yan's incense. This group of people named their surname after the place, and their surname was Chunyu. Later, in order to avoid the name taboo of Li Chun, Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, the surname was changed to the single name Yu instead of "Chun", and the single surname was "Yu". There is also a legend that the surname Yu comes from Qian in Donghai County, Shandong Province in the Han Dynasty. Donghai County is now Tancheng, Shandong. People with the surname Yu formed their own famous families in the process of development. The uncle's descendants were well-known in Donghai County, so they took "Donghai" as the county's headquarters. Xianbei's Wu Shaoyu family was prominent in Luoyang in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Luoyang was called Henan County and Henan County in ancient times, so they took "Henan" as their county title. People with the surname Yu who came from "Chunyu" took the original surname "Hanoi" as their county commander. Today, the Yu surname has a larger population and a wider distribution, and ranks 28th among contemporary common surnames. This is all the result of the joint efforts of people with the Yu surname. Among the surnames, the Western Han Dynasty court captain Yu Dingguo, the Eastern Han Dynasty Yu Jun, the Northern Wei Dynasty minister Yu Luoba, the northern general Yu Jin, the Sui Dynasty Jiangnan march general Yu Zhongwen, the Tang Dynasty Ministry of Industry Minister Yu Qi, the Donghai County Duke Yu Xiulie, Prince Taishi Yu Zhining, Yuan Dynasty Minister of War Yu Qin, Ming Dynasty Minister of War Yu Qian, Supervisory Censor Yu Jing, Qing Dynasty Zhili Governor Yu Chenglong, Jiangsu Governor Yu Zhun, and modern contemporaries Yu Mei, Yu Fangzhou, and Yu Xuezhong ﹑Yu Guangyuan and others are all named Yu.

Reference: Hundred Family Surnames big5.ct/china/surname/origin/index28

The surname "Yu" has three origins: 1. From the surname Ji. Named after the country. According to "Guangyun" and "Yuanhe Surname Compilation", the third son (some say the fourth son) of King Wu of Zhou was granted the title of "Uncle" in the country of Wei. 2. Changed from the compound surname of the Xianbei people. According to "History of the Road", the grandson of Donghai Yugong moved with Tuobaling (in the area of ??today's Dai County, Shanxi Province) and became the Wanniu Yu family. By the time of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, he became the Yu family again. 3. In the Tang Dynasty, the Chunyu family name was changed to the Yu family name to avoid the name taboo of Tang Xianzong Li Chun (Chun and Chun were homophonic). See "Dialectics of Ancient and Modern Surname Books". Distribution area: Luoyang City, Henan Province; Tancheng, Shandong Province; areas east of Donghai County and north of Huai River in Jiangsu Province