Zhen (zh ē n) surname

It belongs to the Guishi and Yanshi clans, with its ancestors being Emperor Shun and Emperor Zhongzhen. It is the 162nd contemporary surname in China. The ancestors of the Zhen family, who migrated from Pingyang Prefecture, Hongdong County, Zhaocheng County, and other places, were descendants of the Hongdong locust tree during the Ming Dynasty. In the early Ming Dynasty, they were ordered to move to other places, and by the end of the Qing Dynasty, their descendants were distributed in Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shaanxi, Gansu, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Shanxi, and other places.

The earliest record of the Zhen surname can be found in the Tang Dynasty's "Yuanhe Surname Compilation".

There are four main sources of surnames:

① Originating from the surname Gui. According to the "Yuanhe Surname Compilation", Zhen was originally the name of the wheel used in pottery making, and later became an official in charge of the pottery industry. According to legend, Emperor Shun was a person of noble character who set an example and educated the people everywhere. He once farmed in Lishan and fished in Leize, teaching the locals to be humble and respect the elderly through practical actions. Later, he heard that the pottery making techniques of the Dongyi tribe on the banks of the Yellow River were backward, so he lived there to burn pottery. Under the guidance of Shun, the pottery making skills of the Yi people rapidly improved, and the pottery they fired became sturdy and durable. It quickly became a famous pottery production area. Due to Shun's benevolence, righteousness, and kindness, people came to surrender one after another. The place where they lived often became a village for one year, a city for two years, and a city for three years. The place where pottery was burned quickly formed a city called Zhen City. Later, after Shun succeeded Yao as emperor, he sent one of his sons to continue managing the pottery industry there, and this branch was named Zhen after the city.

② Originating from the change of his surname. According to the "Annals of the Official Family" in the Book of Wei, during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Zhen clan followed Emperor Xiaowen into the Central Plains and changed their surname to Zhen after settling in Luoyang.

③ Originating from the Yan surname. According to the "Yuanhe Surname Compilation", the second son of Gao Tao, Zhong Zhenshi, was appointed as the sixth official and later as the English official, and was merged with Chu. His descendants have taken his name Zhen as their surname.

④ Derived from the surname Guo. According to the Biography of Empresses in the Records of Wei, the Guo family inherited the surname Zhen, such as Zhen Min from Wei.

The counties with the surname Zhen mainly include Zhongshan County and Henan County. Zhongshan Commandery: During the Warring States period, it was the state of Zhongshan and was destroyed by the state of Zhao. During the Qin Dynasty, it was the territory of Julu Commandery. In the early years of Emperor Gaozu of Han (206 BC), Zhongshan Commandery was established, equivalent to the northern region of present-day Hebei Province, with its capital in Lunu (present-day Zhengding County, Hebei Province).

The main hall names of the Zhen surname are Zhongshan Hall and Huanjin Hall. Huan Jintang: Zhen Bin during the Liang Dynasty, known for his honesty and integrity. Once pawned a bundle of ramie for money. Later, when I redeemed the ramie, I found a piece of gold worth 5 taels in the bundle. Zhen Bin will immediately return the original owner. After learning about it, the emperor appointed him as a clerk in Yizhou and concurrently served as the magistrate of Pixian County.

The main hall couplets of the Zhen surname include: Woodcutter's Step (Zhen Ji); Zhu Shu returned gold (Zhen Bin). Wanghui Zhijie (Zhenji); Family background: Confucianism (Zhen Yu). Ling Snake shows palace makeup bun (Empress Dowager Zhen); Shouyang Chuanfu Shiming (Zhen Yu).

[Celebrities] The Dictionary of Chinese Names includes 26 cases of Zhen, and the Dictionary of Chinese Names of Past Dynasties includes 33 cases. During the Han Dynasty, there were historical figures with the surname Zhen, including Zhen Feng and Wang Mang, who served as the General of Gengshi; During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was Zhen Chen, a person from Wuji in Northern Wei, who was appointed as the General of Chariots and Cavalry by Taihe Zhong; During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was Prince Liang's Prime Minister Zhen Cheng; During the Three Kingdoms period, Emperor Wen of Wei had Empress Zhen; In the Tang Dynasty, there was Zhen Ji, a scholar, and famous doctors Zhen Liyan and Zhen Quan; In the Ming Dynasty, there was Zhen Yong, a native of Wanping, who served as the Minister of War of the Southern Song Dynasty.