{"id":3174,"date":"2023-01-10T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.mychinaroots.com\/?p=3174"},"modified":"2023-01-12T04:22:09","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T04:22:09","slug":"xu-family-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mychinaroots.com\/blog\/surnames\/xu-family-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Xu Family History\ufffc"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Is your last name spelled Hsu, Chee, Choo or See? If so, there\u2019s a good chance that the original Chinese surname of your ancestors is \u5f90, pronounced Xu in Mandarin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xu is the 9th most common surname in China, and many communities worldwide in places like Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia also share the same surname.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roots of the Xu family stretch far and wide. Most Xu descendants can trace their ancestry back to the royal bloodlines of Boyi, a cultural hero who lived and ruled during the 2nd millennium BC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Looking for your Xu family history book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search 352 Xu records across various villages<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore 213 Xu records in collections across the world<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are the origins of Xu?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many believe that the surname Xu originated from the state of Xu, or present-day province of Jiangsu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2000 years before the Roman Empire, Boyi (\u4f2f\u76ca) was a Longshan tribal leader who helped Emperor Shun (\u5e1d\u821c, legendary leader of ancient China, regarded by some sources as one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors being the last of the Five Emperors) and Yu the Great (\u5927\u79b9, legendary king in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control) control the Great Flood of Gun-Yu (\u9ca7\u79b9\u6cbb\u6c34). According to Chinese mythology, the Great Flood was a natural disaster in ancient China that allegedly lasted two generations. It resulted in massive economic damage, famines and resource shortages. After the torrential waters subsided, Boyi continued his service as a government minister. To express his gratitude, Yu the Great appointed Boyi\u2019s son Ruomu (\u82e5\u6728) as the king of the state of Xu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The state of Xu was later conquered by the state of Wu in 512 BC. Descendants of King Ruomu decided to adopt the name of Xu as their surname in order to commemorate the end of their nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another account traces the origins of the Xu family name to the Rebellion of the Three Guards (\u4e09\u76d1\u4e4b\u4e71, 1042\u20131039 BC). The civil war was instigated by a group of princes, loyalists and vassal states against the Western Zhou government. However, the Duke of Zhou (\u5468\u516c) was successful in quelling the uprising. He then divided the remaining Shang dynasty factions into six clans, and one of these bore Xu as their family name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Longshan tribal leader Boyi (\u4f2f\u76ca)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Duke of Zhou (\u5468\u516c)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Did you know?<\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picture a beast as tall as a skyscraper, its teeth sharp like knives and its back glistening with emerald scales\u2014for many of us, dinosaurs bring to mind sci-fi thrillers like Jurassic Park <\/em>(1993) or Journey To The Center Of The Earth <\/em>(1959), and these ancient creatures remain a fantasy at best. But for Chinese paleontologist Xu Xing (\u5f90\u661f), dinosaurs remain his life\u2019s work. Born in Xinjiang, Xu is a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Xu earned the title of China\u2019s \u201cDinosaur King\u201d after he discovered and named a grand total of 34 dinosaur species \u2013 more than any other living paleontologist ever has! Xu\u2019s work continues to shed light on not only dinosaurs themselves, but also the developmental nature of ecosystems. The knowledge he has shared with the world brings us one step closer to understanding climate change and our living environments.<\/gwmw><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Image: China Pictorial<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Xu<\/p>\n\n\n

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Meaning<\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/td>Slowly, gently<\/td><\/tr>
Symbols<\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/td>\u5f73 (step), \u4f59 (surplus)<\/td><\/tr>
Legendary Ancestor<\/td>Boyi (\u4f2f\u76ca)<\/td><\/tr>
Founding Ancestor<\/td>Ruomu (\u82e5\u6728), the king of the state of Xu<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Global distribution map of Xu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Spelling Variations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Dialect<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Cantonese<\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/td>Tsui, Chui<\/td><\/tr>
Hakka<\/td>Qi<\/td><\/tr>
Hokkien<\/td>See, Tjhie<\/td><\/tr>
Mandarin<\/td>Xu<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
By Country<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Jamaica<\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/td>Tsui, Chi<\/td><\/tr>
Taiwan<\/td>Hsu<\/td><\/tr>
United States<\/td>Chee, Cheui, Choe, Choi, Chooey, Chou, Choy, Chu, Chuey, Chui, Djie, Hsu, Hsue, Hsyu, Seo, Shee, Shi, Shiu, Shu, Shui, Shyu, Su, Sui, Sy, Toi, Tooey, Toy, Tsu, Tsue, Tsuei, Tsui, Tuey, Twey, Xu, Zee, Zi<\/td><\/tr>
Hawaii<\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/gwmw><\/td>Aiina, Aina<\/td><\/tr>
Indonesia<\/td>Tjie, Swee, Dharmadjie, Shui, Djie, Tjhie, Chee, Christiadjie, Chi<\/td><\/tr>
Singapore<\/td>Ser, Su, Cher, Chee, Cheu, Cheer, Chi, Chie, Chin, Choo, Choy, Chai, Chu, Chua, Hsu, See, Yee, Zee<\/td><\/tr>
Vietnam<\/td>T\u1eeb<\/td><\/tr>
Thailand<\/td>Srivaddhanaprabha, Raksriaksor<\/td><\/tr>
Malaysia<\/td>See, Seh, Cher, Cheu<\/td><\/tr>
Korea<\/td>Seo<\/td><\/tr>
Macau<\/td>Choi<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Who are famous Xus in modern history?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From award-winning movie stars, to boxers, poets and professors: there\u2019s nothing that Xus can\u2019t do. Some of the most prominent Xus in modern history include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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