Surnames have become a significant cultural aspect throughout the history of China.
Historically, the “Baijiaxing” during the Northern Song period recorded 468 surnames in China, while the “Tiangxing” during the Ming dynasty listed 1,968 surnames. Today, the country boasts a total of 6,363 surnames, including 3,730 single-character surnames, 2,475 double-character surnames, 146 three-character surnames, 7 four-character surnames, and 5 five-character surnames.
Throughout history, many surnames in China have gradually disappeared and are now entirely forgotten. Similar to the four surnames described below, which originated along the Yellow River, they have faded away over time.
1. Surname Du Meng
Du Meng is a double-character surname, distinct from the still-existing surname Du.
Very few people carry the surname Du Meng, preventing it from developing into a large clan. (Illustrative image).
In the “Biography of Wang Mang”, it is recorded: “You Du Ling’s people, Du Meng young master” (translated: young master of the Du Meng family, from Du Ling County). The “Customs and Practices – Musical Instruments” also mentions a character named Du Meng Gao in the Qin state. Therefore, it can be asserted that the Du Meng surname indeed existed in Chinese history.
According to legend, during the Han dynasty, there was an official with the surname Du Meng, but he later fell out of favor with the emperor and was demoted to commoner status. To survive, he had to take up the trade of selling meat.
With his business acumen, his meat shop grew, transforming from a small store into a large market. Today, Du Meng is also the name of a famous meat market in China.
However, due to the very few people carrying the surname Du Meng, it could not develop into a large clan. Over time, descendants of Du Meng felt that this surname had too much of a bloody connotation (the character “du” in Chinese means to slaughter livestock), leading them to change it to another surname. Gradually, the Du Meng surname faded away.
2. Surname Le
Legend has it that the Le surname originated from the Dao surname. (Illustrative image).
The Le surname is a unique case within the surname system of China. The written form of this surname combines three “dao” components (刕 with the pronunciation /li/), which translates to Le in Sino-Vietnamese, different from the commonly known Le (黎) surname.
The “Baijiaxing” does not record the Le surname containing three “dao” components, but the “Tiangxing” does.
According to tradition, the Le surname originates from the Dao surname. Initially, a man named Dao Qui had numerous enemies in the Shu state, making his descendants fear revenge. With no other choice, the descendants changed their surname from Dao to Le to avoid future peril.
However, Dao Qui’s enemies never pursued them, and thus, the feud gradually faded with time. Ultimately, the Le surname changed back to Dao, leading to the disappearance of the Le surname. Although it existed for only a brief period, the Le surname was indeed real.
3. Surname Thao Tiet
Thao Tiet is a mythical beast from ancient mythology.
It is known that Thao Tiet is a mythical beast described in ancient mythology, depicted as a ferocious creature with immense power, gluttonous in nature, eating anything it encounters, symbolizing greed and desire.
The “Shan Hai Jing” describes: In the Mount Gou Wu, there are many gems above and many bronze below, inhabited by the fierce beast Thao Tiet, resembling a goat’s body with a human face, with eyes under its armpits, teeth like a tiger’s, and human-like claws, making a sound like a child’s cry.
The Thao Tiet surname actually originates from the Xiao surname. At that time, the eighth son of Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty, Xiao Ji, failed in his bid for the throne against Crown Prince Xiao Yi and was executed in a canyon. After ascending the throne, Xiao Yi bestowed the Thao Tiet surname upon Xiao Ji’s descendants. This was, in fact, a punishment from Xiao Yi, ensuring that future generations would bear the consequences of their ancestor’s mistakes.
However, after the fall of the Liang dynasty, the Thao Tiet surname gradually changed to others and did not revert back to Xiao. From that point on, the Thao Tiet surname completely vanished.
4. Surname Thanh Cong
We all know that “Thanh Cong” is a noun representing a glorious achievement that everyone desires. However, Thanh Cong is also a surname in Chinese history, primarily honoring the story of Yu the Great’s flood control efforts. He was a legendary emperor in ancient China, renowned for his flood control efforts and establishing a hereditary system in China by founding the Xia dynasty.
The Thanh Cong surname primarily arose to honor the story of Yu the Great’s flood control efforts. (Illustrative image).
Legend has it that Yu the Great dedicated himself to solving the flooding issue in the Yellow River, which led him to be away from home for a very long time. Just after getting married, he said goodbye to his wife to embark on his monumental task.
During his flood control efforts, he passed by his home three times but never stopped to visit his family. He missed the moment his wife gave birth and even heard her talking to their child while passing by their door. Due to the extremely dangerous flooding situation at the time, he could not afford to be negligent.
After successfully controlling the floods, Yu’s descendants expressed their gratitude by adopting the surname Thanh Cong for his family. However, today, this surname has completely disappeared, leaving a somber mark in the flowing river of history.
