"Surname" is a single word in modern Chinese, but before the Qin and Han dynasties, "xìng" (surname) and "shì" (clan name) had clear distinctions. The origin of "xìng" comes from the matriarchal society, and the same "xìng" represents the same maternal blood relationship. The earliest surnames in China mostly have the character "nǚ" (female), such as Jiang, Yao, Si, Gui, Ying, etc., representing different clans descended from different grandmothers. The emergence of "shì" came after "xìng", and it was the result of identifying blood relationships through the paternal line, which could only occur once the patriarchal family system was established. Therefore, when we read "the Yellow Emperor, Xuan Yuan shì, with the surname Ji" and "the Flame Emperor, Lie Shan shì, with the surname Jiang," we can understand that the two ancestors of the Chinese nation, the Flame Emperor and the Yellow Emperor, originally belonged to two tribes or tribal alliances organized according to the maternal blood relationship. One had the surname Jiang, and the other had the surname Ji. However, they each had their own "shì" names, representing their respective patriarchal clan leaders: Lie Shan and Xuan Yuan. The situation where "xìng" and "shì" had strict distinctions but were used simultaneously indicates that the matriarchal system had been replaced by the patriarchal system, but the influence of the matriarchal society still existed. This influence gradually disappeared after the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.
The "Hundred Surnames" was originally a textbook for children written by a scholar in Qian Tang (Hangzhou) at the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty. It compiled common surnames into four-character lines of rhymed prose, like a four-character poem, making it easy to recite and remember. Therefore, it has been passed down to this day, having a deep influence. Originally, the "Hundred Surnames" collected 411 surnames, later expanded to 504 surnames, including 444 single-character surnames and 60 double-character surnames.
Zhào Qián Sūn Lǐ Zhōu Wú Zhèng Wáng
Féng Chén Zhū Wèi Jiǎng Shěn Hán Yáng
Zhū Qín Yóu Xǔ Hé Lǚ Shī Zhāng
Kǒng Cáo Yán Huá Jīn Wèi Táo Jiāng
Qī Xiè Zōu Yù Bǎi Shuǐ Dòu Zhāng
Yún Sū Pān Gě Xī Fàn Péng Láng
Lǔ Wéi Chāng Mǎ Miáo Fèng Huā Fāng
Yú Rèn Yuán Liǔ Fēng Bào Shǐ Táng
Fèi Lián Cén Xuē léi Hè Ní Tāng
Téng Yīn Luó Bì Hǎo Wū Ān Cháng
Lè Yú Shí Fù Pí Kǎ Qí Kāng
Wǔ Yú Yuán Bǔ Gù Mèng Píng Huáng
Hé Mù Xiāo Yǐn Yáo Shào Kān Wāng
Qí Máoyǔ Dí Mǐ Bèi Míng Zāng
Jì Fú Chéng Dài Tán Sòng Máo Páng
Xióng Jì Shū Qū Xiàng Zhù Dǒng Liáng
Dù Ruǎn Lán Mǐn Xí Jì Má Qiáng
Jiǎ Lù Lóu Wēi Jiāng Tóng Yán Guō
Méi Shèng Lín Diāo Zhōng Xú Qiū Luò
Gāo Xià Cài Tián Fán Hú Líng Huò
Yú Wàn Zhī Kē Jiù Guǎn Lú Mò
Jīng Fáng Qiú Miào Gàn Jiě Yìng Zōng
Dīng Xuān Bēn Dèng Yù Dān Háng Hóng
Bāo Zhū Zuǒ Shí Cuī Jí Niǔ Gōng
Chéng Jī Xíng Huá Pèi Lù Róng Wēng
Xún Yáng Yú Huì Zhēn Wèi Jiā Fēng
Ruí Yì Chǔ Jìn Jí Bǐng Mí Sōng
Jǐng Duàn Fù Wū Wū Jiāo Bā Gōng
Mù Kuí Shān Gǔ Chē Hóu Mì Péng
Quán Xī Bān Yǎng Qiū Zhòng Yī Gōng
Níng Chóu Luán Bào Gān Tǒu Lì Róng
Zǔ Wǔ Fú Liú Jǐng Zhān Shù Lóng
Yè Xìng Sī Sháo Gào Lí Jì Bó
Yìn Sù Bái Huái Pú Tái Cóng è
Suǒ Xián Jí Là Zhuó Lìn Tú Mēng
Chí Qiáo Yīn Yù Xū Néng Cāng Shuāng
Wén Shēn Dǎng Zhái Tán Gòng Láo Páng
Jī Shēn Fú Dǔ Rǎn Zǎi Lì Yōng
Què Qú Sāng Guì Pú Niú Shòu Tōng
Biān Hù Yàn Jì Xiá Pǔ Shàng Nóng
Wēn Bié Zhuāng Yàn Chái Zhái Yán Chōng
