See the whole storyOrigin of my surname

Originating from the Zi surname, the lineage traces back to Yi Yin Zhi, a prominent minister in the early Xia Dynasty. It belongs to the category of surnames derived from ancestral official titles. Yi Yin, of the Si surname and Yi clan, personal name Zhi, was an important minister and statesman who established the Shang Dynasty. He was appreciated and highly valued by King Tang of Shang, who appointed him as "Aheng" (equivalent to prime minister). After Yi Yin Zhi's death, Shang Woding, the son of King Tai Jia of Shang, gave him a grand burial with the rites due to an emperor in Pingli Township, Jishi City (present-day Yinmiao Village, Chutianji, Cao County, Shandong Province). Among Yi Yin Zhi's collateral descendants, some took pride in their ancestor's "Aheng" title and adopted "A" as their surname, becoming the A clan, which has been passed down through generations to this day. The Zi surname A clan reveres Yi Yin Zhi as their founding ancestor.

Originating from a place name, the surname A is derived from the town of Aze in the State of Wei during the Spring and Autumn Period. Aze, originally called "Keze," was a place name within the territory of Ke County in the State of Wei during the Spring and Autumn Period. Geographically, it was located in the southwest of Dong'e County, Liaocheng City, Shandong Province today. It was originally a large lake, but because it was within the territory of Ke County in the State of Wei, the people of Wei called it "Keze." Later, it was seized by the State of Qi, which renamed it "Aze." Consequently, some members of the Ke clan, who used "Ke County" as their surname, changed their surname to A. The Ji clan of the A surname all venerate Duke Xian of Wei, Ji Kan, as their founding ancestor.

Originating from the ancient Kyrgyz Khanate (Jiankun), the surname A is descended from Li Ling, a general of the Han Dynasty, and is a result of Sinicization and surname adoption. In the ancient Kyrgyz Khanate (Jiankun), there was a tribe called the Are clan, whose members claimed descent from Li Ling, a great general of the Han Dynasty. It is said that Li Ling had several children, all born to women of non-Kingdom origin, some of whom adopted the surname Are. During the Tang Dynasty, they became Kyrgyz (names include Juwu, Jiegu, Hegu, and Hegesi), and later adopted A as their Sinicized surname, which has been passed down through generations to this day.

Originating from an official title, the surname Afu originated from the official title of the Xin Dynasty during the transition from the Western Han to the Southern Han Dynasty. Afu was an official title established by Wang Mang, the Grand Tutor, after he successfully usurped the Western Han Dynasty. Modeled after the Zhou Dynasty, this title was specifically for instructing the crown prince. The Afu at that time was the scholar Yuan Sheng. After Wang Mang was killed, some of Yuan Sheng's descendants changed their surname to Afu to avoid persecution. In the second month of the lunar calendar in the second year of the Gengshi era (24 AD), Emperor Gengshi Liu Xuan arrived in Chang'an and issued a general amnesty: everyone except Wang Mang's descendants was pardoned. Therefore, most of Yuan Sheng's descendants changed their surname back to Yuan, but some who migrated to the north still use the surname A, which has been passed down through generations to this day.

Originating from the Xianbei people, specifically from the Xianbei tribes during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, this surname was adopted through Sinicization. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the Xianbei people of the Northern Wei Dynasty included the clans Ahe, Afugan, Adan, Alegen, Ali, and Aluhuan. After entering the Central Plains, they adopted the Han custom and changed their surname to A.

Originating from ethnic minorities in Northwest China, this surname arose through Sinicization and adoption. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, among the Tiele tribe (one of the nomadic peoples of the Gobi Desert region), there were clans such as Adie and Alun, as well as Turkic clans such as Ashide, Ashina, and Ahui. Some members of these clans simplified their surnames to the Han surname "A," which has been passed down through generations to this day.

Originating in the ancient Western Regions, this surname was adopted through Sinicization. In ancient times, members of various tribes, including the Ayiduo clan of the Western Regions, the Aluo clan of the Cheshi Kingdom, the Awudi clan of the Uyghurs, and the Asimei clan of the Khitan, migrated to the Central Plains and simplified their surname to the Han surname "A," which has been passed down through generations to this day.

Originating from the Mongolian ethnic group, this surname is a result of Sinicization and adoption. Descendants of Prince Yu, Borjigin Aratnashiri, and descendants of Adargin Shira, a leader of the Niruwen Mongol branch and predecessor of the Gansu Diaola Mongol tribe at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, adopted the first syllable of their ancestor's name as their Sinicized surname during the Ming Dynasty, becoming known as the "A" clan, which has been passed down through generations to the present day.

Originating from the Hui ethnic group, this surname is a result of Sinicization and adoption. ⑴. Many Hui people have religious names beginning with the sound "A," which is a major source of the Hui surname "A." For example, during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, hundreds of officials, including Arakim, Arawas, Alihan, Aslan, Apashi, Aduchi, Adula, Ali, Ahema, Adawuding, and Adula, adopted "A" as their Han surname. ⑵. Hailima, a Hui person from the Qing Dynasty's Imperial Household Department, later adopted "A," becoming another branch of the Hui surname "A."

Originating from ethnic minorities in Northeast China, this surname is a result of Sinicization and adoption. According to historical records such as the *Huangchao Tongzhi* (Imperial Gazetteer), specifically the section on Manchu Eight Banners surnames, members of the Manchu clans such as Darchong'a, Dong'a, Balla, Wuzaku, Ahajueluo, Atamu, Ala, Aerbu, and Alai adopted the Han surname "A" after the mid-Qing Dynasty, a surname that has been passed down through generations to this day. Furthermore, according to the local gazetteer *Oroqen Autonomous Banner Gazetteer*, the Oroqen clan of Acigecalr (Manchu: Acigecalr Hala) had two branches: the Yigeji'er and Gageda'er. After the mid-Qing Dynasty, many adopted the Han surnames "A" or "Yi," which have also been passed down through generations to this day. According to the *Heilongjiang Gazetteer: Clan Records*, the Daur ethnic group's Ardan clan, whose Manchu name is Ardan Hala, lived along the banks of the Heilongjiang River for generations. After the mid-Qing Dynasty, many adopted Han surnames such as A, An, and Dan, which have been passed down through generations to this day.