Gu (surname)

Gu or Koo
Language(s) Chinese and Korean
Origin
Region of origin China

Gu can refer to several different Chinese or Taiwanese family names. Some places such as South Korea usually romanize this family name as "Koo" or "Ku".

Gu Surname Variation

China

1958 old photograph of Chinese-Indonesian of Gu (古) surname, first until third generations
  1. The family name Gù (simplified Chinese: 顾; traditional Chinese: 顧; literally: "to care for") is the most common and is ranked #88 on the list of top Chinese family names, according to the 2006 Chinese census (excluding Taiwan).
  2. The family name Gŭ (谷, meaning valley) came about when a noble family of the Zhou Dynasty was rewarded a fief in a valley area. The descendants of the family adopted the name to link their lineage to that history.
  3. The family name Gŭ (古, meaning ancient) is uncommon, being the 204th most common surname in China.
  4. The family name Gū (辜, meaning guilt) is very rare. Prominent bearers of this surname include Jeffrey Koo Sr. (Ambassador-at-Large, Chairman of Chinatrust Bank, and "Father of Credit Cards"), as well as Koo Chen-fu (Taiwanese diplomat and businessman). Both former head and heir to the Koos Group known as 和信集團.
  5. The family name Gŭ (骨, meaning bone) is unimaginably recherché in China.


History

China

Northern lineage

The survivors of uncultured unknown kingdom adopted the name and became the northern lineage of the family Gu. After the area annexed by Shang Dynasty.

Southern lineage

A second, southern lineage of the family Gu came around the Spring and Autumn period. Although they technically did not obtain that name until the Han Dynasty. The Southern lineage of Gu family makes up the majority of all those who bear the name today. A book of family tree was published.[1]

The Gu family traces its origins to the Yue Kingdom, which was later destroyed around 306 BC during the Warring States period. At the beginning of the Han dynasty, the 7th generation descendant of King Goujian of Yue was named Yao, a regional warlord. He assisted the royal family of the Han dynasty in establishing the new dynasty. For his service, the Han emperor rewarded Yao with the title of "King of Eastern Sea". Yao later bestowed his own son the title of "Duke of Gu Yu". Thus his descendants proclaimed themselves the last name "Gu", and called "Gu Yao" as the 1st Ancestor of "Gu".

According to a 2002 article[2] similar trace of that family was confirmed through historical archives. Other commentaries are found at[3] and[4]

Most recent

The surviving members of disputed official changed their names and concealed their royal bloodline to hide their shame. One of the adopted names was Gu.

Distribution

This family name can be found mostly in eastern and southern Chinese provinces, especially in Jiangsu, Northern Zhejiang, and around the city of Shanghai. This surname can also be found in Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Notable people

China

Prominent bearer of this surname include:

  • The Gu clan of Wu, whose members served under the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han dynasty and later in the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period
    • Gu Yong, second chancellor of Eastern Wu
    • Gu Hui, Gu Yong's brother, served under Sun Quan
    • Gu Ti, official of Eastern Wu
    • Gu Shao, Gu Yong's eldest son, official of Eastern Wu
    • Gu Tan, Gu Shao's son, official of Eastern Wu
    • Gu Cheng, Gu Shao's son, official of Eastern Wu
    • Gu Rong, Gu Yong's grandson, served the Jin dynasty after the fall of Eastern Wu
  • Gu Kaizhi, celebrated painter of ancient China during the Jin Dynasty
  • Gu Yanwu, a scholar in late Ming and early Qing period
  • Wellington Koo (Gu Weijun), the diplomat who represented China in the League of Nations
  • Gu Jiegang, the modern Chinese historian who advocated a modern view of China as a diverse culture, rather than the traditional homogeneous culture

South Korea

References

http://www.taiwan.cn/zppd/XSDG/200901/t20090106_811068.htm 中国最新300大姓排名（2008）" [300 most common surnames in China (2008)] (in Chinese). Taiwan.cn. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2018-05-13.

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2008-06-16. .
  2. ↑ 2002 article,
  3. ↑ http://www.10000xing.cn/x093/files/2007020722314846335296267.html
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-18. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
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