See the whole storyOrigin of my surname

Originating from the Mi surname, it comes from Dou Ban, a descendant of Ruo'ao, the ruler of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period. It belongs to the category of surnames derived from ancestral names. Ruo'ao, the ruler of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period, had a son named Dou Bobi. Dou Bobi's son was named Ling Yin Ziwen. Ling Yin Ziwen was a famous prime minister of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period, making outstanding contributions to the strength of Chu and its northward expansion for hegemony. Ling Yin was an official title in the State of Chu, equivalent to prime minister. Ling Yin Ziwen's surname was Dou, his given name was Zhuyu Tu (豰于菟), and his courtesy name was Ziwen. Ziwen was born from an affair between Dou Bobi and his cousin. After his birth, he was abandoned in the north of Yunmengze (present-day Tianmen, Hubei Province) and raised by a tigress. In the state of Chu at that time, tigers were called "Yutu," and nursing was called "Zhu," so Zhu Yutu means "nurtured by tiger milk." His maternal grandfather, the ruler of Yun, saw Zhu Yutu being fed by a tiger while hunting and was astonished, so he took him home. Because Lingyin Ziwen grew up drinking tiger milk, and because tigers have stripes, his descendants adopted "Ban" (斑) as their surname. In ancient times, the characters "Ban" and "Ban" were interchangeable, and some of his descendants changed their surname to Ban, which has been passed down to this day.

Originating from the Zi surname, it comes from Lao Ban, a high-ranking official of the State of Song during the Spring and Autumn Period, and belongs to the category of surnames derived from ancestral names. The historical record *Zuo Zhuan* (Commentary of Zuo) records in the eleventh year of Duke Wen: "The Duke of Song then rewarded Lao Ban with a gate, allowing him to eat his tribute, and this was called Lao Ban's Gate." Lao Ban was a personal name, a man from the State of Song during the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, the Zou Man (a branch of the Changdi, whose capital was near present-day Gaoqing County, Shandong Province) attacked the State of Song. Duke Wu of Song sent his younger brother, Situ Huangfu, to meet the attack. Lao Ban drove the chariot for Situ Huangfu, and Huangfu's two sons accompanied their father in battle. During the battle, they captured Yuan Si, the leader of the Zou Man. Both of Huangfu's sons died in battle. To reward Lao Ban, Duke Wu of Song bestowed upon him the city gate, allowing him to collect a gate tax. The city gate was also called Lao Gate. Among Lao Ban's descendants, some adopted his name as their surname, becoming the Ban clan, which has been passed down through generations to this day.

Originating from the Ji surname, it comes from Gongshu Ban, a skilled craftsman of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period, and belongs to the category of surnames derived from ancestral names. Lu Ban (507 BC – ?), surname Ji, clan Gongshu, personal name Ban, also known as Gongshu Pan or Gongshu Ban, respectfully addressed as Gongshu Zi, was a famous craftsman of the late Spring and Autumn Period, revered by later generations as the ancestor of Chinese craftsmen. It is said that Lu Ban was born into a prominent family in the State of Lu—the Gongshu clan. Because he was from Lu, he was called Lu Ban or Lu Ban, and later, the name Lu Ban became the most widely used and common name. Lu Ban was born around 507 BC (the thirteenth year of King Jing of Zhou), and forty years later he went into seclusion at Lishan (southeast of present-day Jinan City, also known as Thousand Buddha Mountain). Among the descendants and disciples of Gongshu Ban, many adopted his name as their surname, becoming the Ban family, which has been passed down through generations to this day.

Originating from the Hui ethnic group, the surname Ban comes from Sheban, a Hui from the ancient Guli Kingdom during the Ming Dynasty. It is a surname derived from an ancestor's name. Sheban was a Hui from the ancient Guli Kingdom who came to China with his father as a merchant. He served as an official in the Ming Dynasty and was granted the title of Pacification Commissioner of the Nanjing Imperial Guard. His descendants adopted his name as their surname, becoming one branch of the Ban clan among the Hui people.