See the whole storyOrigin of my surname

Originating from the Jiang clan of Emperor Yan, this surname is derived from a tribal name. Long before the Yellow Emperor, there was a tribe with the surname Jiang, whose totem was the Zouyu. The Zouyu is a benevolent mythical beast in ancient mythology, said to have the body of a tiger and the head of a lion, white fur with black stripes, and a long tail. It is said to be kind by nature, never trampling even grass, and only eating animals that die naturally. The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* records: "Like a tiger, with five-colored fur, a tail longer than its body, named Zouyu, riding it one can travel a thousand li a day." This describes it as being the size of a tiger, with five-colored fur, and a tail longer than its body, called Zouyu, and capable of traveling a thousand li a day. In ancient times, "Yu" and "Wu" were pronounced the same, later becoming homophones, and due to their similar shapes, they were interchangeable. During the Warring States period, the characters "Yu" and "Wu" began to be used differently. Therefore, this tribe called its totem "Wu" and also used "Wu" as its tribe's name. The Wu tribe was brave and fierce, skilled in hunting. Their tribal leader was Wu Quan, a minister of Emperor Yan. It should be noted that Emperor Yan was a title or position held by different people in successive generations. The Emperor Yan, who lived during the same period as the Yellow Emperor, was the last Emperor Yan. The Wu tribe operated in the area around the Jiang River (east of Longshan Mountain in Longxian County, Shaanxi Province), and their home was called Wushan. Among Wu Quan's descendants was a woman named Wu Shu, who married Shaodian of the Youxiong tribe and had a son who later became the Yellow Emperor. During the Xia Dynasty, the Wu tribe migrated to Guanjin (east of present-day Wuyi County, Hebei Province). During the reign of King Shao Kang of the Xia Dynasty, there was a man named Wu He from the Wu tribe who was famous for his archery skills. He once competed in archery with Hou Yi, the legendary archer of the time. This Jiang clan later adopted Wu as their surname, a tradition that dates back more than 5,000 years.

Originating from the Wu Hui clan of the Zhurong clan. Zhuanxu's grandson, Laotong, had two sons: Chongli and Wu Hui. Wu Hui's clan lived in the former territory of the Jiang surname Wu tribe. This was during the reign of Shun, who entrusted Chongli with the glorious mission of controlling fire. At that time, the leader in charge of fire was called Zhurong, who held a high position and great power among the various clans. Later, Chongli was killed by Shun for a crime, and Wu Hui succeeded him as Zhurong. During the Xia Dynasty, Wu Hui's clan migrated to Wushan in Pinglu, Shanxi. During the Shang Dynasty, this clan moved to Linqu, Shandong, historically known as Wang Wu. At the end of the Shang Dynasty, a man named Wu Bo was a descendant of Wu Hui's clan. All told, this branch of the Wu family has a history of over 4,000 years.

Originating from the Yao surname. Shun was the tribal leader of the Dongyi people. After succeeding Yao, he moved his tribe to the ancient Wu region (present-day Lishan Mountain, near Wushan Mountain in Pinglu County, Shaanxi Province), historically known as the Youyu clan. After Yu's son Qi established the Xia Dynasty, he enfeoffed Shun's son Shang Jun in the Yu region (present-day Yucheng, Henan Province), establishing the Yu state. The ruler of the Yu state, Yu Si, married his two daughters to Shao Kang (the sixth ruler of the Xia Dynasty) and helped Shao Kang obtain the throne. After the establishment of the Shang Dynasty, the Yu state declined and perished. The remaining people of the Yu state adopted Wu (pronounced similarly to Yu) as their surname. Wu Guang, one of the leaders of the peasant uprising at the end of the Qin Dynasty, was a descendant of the Yao surname Wu clan. This branch of the Wu surname has a history of over 3,500 years.

The Wu surname originates from the Ji clan of the Yellow Emperor. This lineage of the Wu surname is the most famous in history, has the most profound influence on later generations, and is the most prosperous. It is the most widely recognized origin of the Wu surname. At the end of the Shang Dynasty, Gugong Danfu, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, led his tribe to settle in Zhouyuan (present-day Qishan area of Shaanxi Province) at the foot of Mount Qi. He had three sons: Taibo (also known as Taibo), Zhongyong, and Jili. Jili's son, Ji Chang (later King Wen of Zhou), was very talented. Gugong wanted Jili to be his successor so that the throne could be passed to Chang. Taibo, in order to abdicate, took his family and went to the Wu and Yue regions in the south, where he established the State of Wu. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Wu rose to prominence, but was later destroyed by the State of Yue. The remnants of the State of Wu then adopted the name of their former state as their surname. This branch of the Wu family has a history of over 2,600 years.