See the whole storyOrigin of my surname

The surname Zhu originated from the state of Zhu, the fiefdom of Cao Xie, a descendant of Emperor Zhuanxu. It is a surname derived from the name of the state. Lu Zhong, a great-grandson of Emperor Zhuanxu, had a son named Cao An. One of Cao An's descendants was named Cao Xie. Legend has it that King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed Cao Xie in the state of Zhu (present-day Zoucheng City, Shandong Province), with its capital at Zhu (present-day Nanzou Village, southeast of Qufu, Shandong Province). His descendants adopted the state name as their surname, becoming the Zhu clan. During the Warring States period, the state of Chu conquered Zhu, and the nobles of Zhu fled in all directions. To remember their ancestral homeland, they removed the "ear" radical from their surname and changed their surname to Zhu.

Originating from the Ji surname, the surname was derived from the name of the state. The ancient Zhu clan mainly lived in the area of present-day Zou County, Shandong Province.

Originating from the Zi surname, the Zhu surname originated from Gongzi Zhu, a descendant of Wei Zi Qi of Song. It is a surname derived from an ancestor's name. King Cheng of Zhou enfeoffed Wei Zi Qi, the half-brother of King Zhou of Shang, in the region of Song (present-day Shangqiu, Henan and Huaibei, Anhui) to worship the ancestors of the Shang Dynasty. In 286 BC, during the late Warring States period, the State of Qi conquered the State of Song. Wei Zi Qi's son, whose surname was Zi and given name was Zhu, was historically known as Gongzi Zhu. Gongzi Zhu's descendants adopted his name as their surname, thus becoming the Zhu clan. Gongzi Zhu is revered as the progenitor of the Zhu surname.

Originating from the Qi surname, it traces its lineage back to Danzhu, the son of Emperor Yao, and belongs to the category of surnames derived from ancestral names. Danzhu was the eldest son of Emperor Yao, surnamed Qi, given name Zhu. Because his initial fief was at Danyuan (Dan River), he was called Danzhu. After Emperor Shun defeated Danzhu at Danpu, a branch of Danzhu's descendants migrated to southwest China, mainly distributed in the Cangwu Plain (present-day Jiuyi Mountain area of Ningyuan, Hunan) during the pre-Qin period. They survived the social evolution and, during the Sui and Tang dynasties, developed into a prominent clan in Pei State, forming an important branch of the Zhu surname today, venerating Danzhu as the progenitor of the Zhu surname.

The surname Zhu originated from Zhu Biao, a minister of Emperor Shun, and thus belongs to the category of surnames derived from ancestral names. According to the *Yuanhe Xingzuan*, the Zhu surname originated from the descendants of Zhu Biao, a minister of Emperor Shun. Zhu Biao, also written as Zhu Hu in other ancient texts, was a minister during the reign of Emperor Shun who assisted Boyi in managing mountains, rivers, plants, birds, and beasts. The recluse Zhu Zhang of the Western Zhou Dynasty, Zhu Mao of the State of Qi during the Warring States period, Zhu Hai, a strongman of the State of Wei, and Zhu Jin, the Marquis of Zhongyi during the Western Han Dynasty, all claimed to be descendants of Zhu Hu.

Originating from the Sinicization and surname adoption of ethnic minorities. 1. Xianbei people adopting the surname Zhu: During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei, Tuoba Hong, implemented a large-scale Sinicization reform policy after moving the capital to Luoyang. One important measure was changing the compound surnames of northern nomadic peoples to single-character Han surnames. During this period, a large number of northern ethnic minorities changed their compound surnames to the Han surname Zhu. 2. Mongolians adopting the surname Zhu: Originating from the Jurchen tribe of the Mongols during the Yuan Dynasty, this is a case of surname adoption through Sinicization. The Mongol Jurgit Ormok clan, who lived in Xilatala (present-day Yonggu Town, Zhangye, Gansu) for generations, mostly adopted the Han surname Zhu after the mid-Qing Dynasty; the Mongol Jurchi clan, who lived in Salhazhan (present-day Tongliao, Inner Mongolia) for generations, mostly adopted the Han surnames Zhu or Deng after the mid-Qing Dynasty; and the Mongol Zhuoergut clan, who lived in Horqin (present-day Horqin, Jilin) for generations, mostly adopted the Han surnames Zhu, Zhou, and Kang after the mid-Qing Dynasty. 3. Other ethnic minorities adopting the surname Zhu: The Zhu surname is found among the Mulam, Miao, Yao, Tujia, Naxi, Dongxiang, and Bai ethnic minorities. Most of these surnames originated from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. During these periods, the central government implemented policies of control and appeasement (i.e., the central government ruled over ethnic minorities through a process of appeasement and control) and the "conversion of ethnic chieftains to centrally appointed officials" movement (i.e., the abolition of ethnic minority leaders and the replacement with officials appointed by the central government). As a result, local ethnic minorities adopted the surname Zhu. 4. Originating from bestowed surnames: After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, emperors practiced bestowing surnames to express favor. There were two types of bestowed surnames: one was given to ethnic minorities to appease them and demonstrate appeasement; the other was used to reward subordinate officials as a sign of favor.