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Two pronunciations to same noble name
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EDITOR’S note: Every Chinese family name has its own cultural origin that can be traced back thousands of years. In this column, Shanghai Daily introduces the biggest Chinese family names and their histories.
IT is estimated that there are about 510,000 people in China with the surname Bai, making it the 168th most common surname in the country. The Chinese character for the name Bai can also mean “cedar” or “cypress.”
In ancient times, the name Bai — formerly pronounced as “Bo” — was often used among members of the nobility. Many teachers to emperors from Chinese mythology were also surnamed Bo. For example, Emperor Zhuanxu’s teacher was named Bo Yi Liangfu, and Emperor Ku’s teacher was Bozhao. These figures data to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era.
According to “Records of the Historians,” there was a hero named Bo Yi who received the surname Ying from Emperor Shun for his great contributions in raising poultry and livestock. Thus, Bo Yi had two surnames, Bo and Ying. He was the ancestor to the Yings, including Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC), also known as Ying Zheng. Bo Yi also helped Shun and Yu the Great control the Great Flood during this time. So, Bo and Bai were viewed as the same surname.
Another origin of Bo as a surname derives from the country Bo — also known as Bozi — which emerged during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC). Its founder was Bo Gao, who was previously an official in the Zhou Court.
Also surnamed Bo was a clan called Bohuang Shi that dates back to ancient times. The clan was believed to lead tribes in eastern China. The clan’s totem was the cedar tree. The descendants of the clan were then all surnamed Bo.
Ancestors of the Bo’s mainly resided in Henan Province though the majority relocated to the south later. Now, the surname is commonly seen in Anhui, Hu’nan, Shaanxi, and Jiangsu provinces. Apart from those in Shaanxi Province, most of the Bai’s now live in south China.
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