See the whole storyOrigin of my surname

Originating from the surname Gui, it comes from Gui Man, the 33rd generation descendant of Emperor Shun, and belongs to the category of surnames derived from posthumous titles. In the early Western Zhou Dynasty, after King Wu of Zhou destroyed the Shang Dynasty, he searched for the descendants of the former emperors and found Gui Man, the direct descendant of Emperor Shun (i.e., the descendant of his son with his principal wife). He married his eldest daughter, Da Ji, to him and enfeoffed him at Zhuye in Chen (present-day Huxiang Town, Zhecheng County, Henan Province). Later, the capital was moved to Wanqiu in Chen (near present-day Puyang, Henan Province), where he was instructed to worship his ancestor, Emperor Shun. He was granted the title of "Three Respected Ones" (at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, the titles of kings and marquises were bestowed upon the descendants of the three previous dynasties, known as the "Three Respected Ones"). He established the State of Chen, was enfeoffed as a marquis, and given the posthumous title of Duke Hu. Therefore, he is also known as Duke Hu Man or Duke Hu of Chen. Among the descendants of the royal family and common people of the State of Chen, many people used the posthumous title of their ancestors as their surname, and were called Hu.

Originating from the surname Gui, it comes from the Hu Mu clan, descendants of the younger brother of King Xuan of Qi during the Warring States period. It is a simplified form of a compound surname. The Hu Mu clan originated during the reign of King Xuan of Qi, Tian Pijiang, in the Warring States period, nearly 2,500 years ago. In the first year of King Shenjing of Zhou (320 BC), King Xuan of Qi ascended the throne and later enfeoffed his younger brother, Tian Ying, in Wuyang (also known as Muxiang, the ancient town of Wuyan, now Dongping, Shandong). Tian Ying later became the prime minister of Qi, and thus took one character each from his ancestor, Duke Hu, and the name of his fiefdom, "Wuyang," to form the surname "Hu Mu." Many of his descendants adopted the surname "Hu Mu," thus developing into the Hu Mu clan. During the late Warring States period and the Qin and Han dynasties, the Hu Mu clan developed into three main branches: Hu Mu (also known as Hu Mu Shi), Hu Yang, and Wu (also known as Mu Shi). Notable historical figures include Hu Mu Jing, the Grand Historian during the Qin dynasty, and Hu Mu Sheng and Hu Mu Ban during the Han dynasty. After the Jin dynasty, the Hu Mu clan gradually simplified to the single surname Hu. Because most of their descendants adopted the surname Hu, the compound surname Hu Mu became increasingly rare, remaining scarce even today.

Originating from the state of Hu, this surname is derived from the name of the state. The *Han Feizi* (Chapter 28, "On the Difficulty of Persuasion") records: "In the past, Duke Wu of Zheng wanted to attack Hu, so he first married his daughter to the ruler of Hu to please him. He then asked his ministers, 'If we want to wage war, who can we attack?' The minister Guan Qisi replied, 'Hu can be attacked.' Duke Wu was furious and executed him, saying, 'Hu is a brother state; why did you say you would attack it?' The ruler of Hu, upon hearing this, considered Zheng as a close ally and thus did not prepare for Zheng. The people of Zheng attacked Hu and captured it." Duke Wu of Zheng asked his ministers, "I want to wage war; which state should I attack?" The minister Guan Qisi replied, "We can attack the state of Hu." Duke Wu was furious, executed Guan Qisi, and said, "Hu is our brother; what are your intentions in attacking them?" The ruler of Hu, hearing this, considered the ruler of Zheng a relative and did not guard against him. Zheng seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack and occupy Hu. In 763 BC, Zheng destroyed Hu. After the fall of Hu, its descendants continued to use the name of their former state as their surname.

Originating from the Gui surname, it comes from the Guiyi people during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, belonging to the category of surnames derived from state names. The Guihu state, also known in historical records as the Fenhu state, was located in the area of Ruyin, Yingzhou (present-day Fuyang, Anhui). It was a vassal state of the Gui surname enfeoffed in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. The Gui surname originated from Hou Kui (also called Fengbo or Guibo) during the Yao and Shun era. His clan and tribe originally lived in the Shangqiu area of Henan, but were later attacked by King Wu Ding of Shang and forced to disperse. Apart from a portion who remained in the Central Plains (present-day eastern Luohe City, Henan Province) and established the Guihu state, most of the Guiyi people refused to submit to the Shang Dynasty and continued to migrate south. One branch migrated to the Ruyin area and established the Fenhu state there. According to the ancient text *Zhouli* (Rites of Zhou), specifically the section on the *Dongguan Kaogongji* (Record of Trades by the Winter Official), the state of Fenhu was located on the border of the state of Chu and was rich in fine wood used to make arrow shafts. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, the weak states of Guihu and Fenhu were forced to join an alliance of states led by Chu, forming a coalition to attack the state of Wu. They later participated in the Battle of Yuzhang between Chu and Wu. As a result, in the twelfth year of King Jing of Zhou (508 BC), King Zhao of Chu, Xiong Ren (Xiong Zhen), on his way back from the Battle of Yuzhang, conveniently annexed the two allied states of Guihu and Fenhu. After the destruction of Guihu and Fenhu, many descendants of the royal family adopted the name of their former states as their surname, thus forming the Hu clan.