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Sun surname has multiple origins in ancient China
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SUN, which literally means grandson or offspring, is actually a surname of the descendants of different families. There are an estimated 18 million people surnamed Sun in China, ranking it 12th among the most common surnames in the nation.
The origin of Sun as a surname is quite complicated. There are generally six major sources contributing to the big family of Suns today.
The earliest branch of the Sun family is probably derived from the family of “Zi” in the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC). The famous loyal minister Bigan surnamed “Zi” was murdered by the tyrant Zhou. To avoid further persecution, his offspring concealed their identities by changing their surname to Sun.
The offspring of King Wen in the Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC–256 BC) surnamed “Ji” is also a source of the Suns. The eighth son of King Wen was granted the Wei Kingdom in today’s Henan Province. One of his offspring surnamed his own family after Sun.
The descendants of the Shun Emperor, some 4,000 years ago, contribute to another branch of the Suns. The family surnamed “Gui” was granted the land of the Chen Kingdom in today’s Henan Province early in the Zhou Dynasty. A prince fled to the Qi Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), and his descendant named Chenshu conquered a neighboring kingdom and was granted the surname of Sun and landed in today’s Shandong Province.
Sunshu Ao, minister of the Chu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period, was widely recognized as the fourth source of Sun families due to his achievement in water conservancy.
Other branches include offspring from the family of “Xun” and the family of “Xiahou” in the Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220).
Most Suns lived at Fuyang in Henan Province and Boxing in Shandong Province in the Spring and Autumn Period. The branch deriving from the family of Gui in Shandong Province developed quickly in the Warring States Period (476-221 BC), and became the main stream of the Suns by the Han Dynasty.
The family of Sun gradually expanded to Shanxi, Zhejiang and Hubei provinces and reached a peak in the Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280).
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