Duke Hu of Chen in the context of Chen (surname)


Duke Hu of Chen in the context of Chen (surname)

⭐ Core Definition: Duke Hu of Chen

Duke Hu of Chen (Chinese: 陈胡公 or 胡公满; Chinese: 陳胡公 or 胡公滿; pinyin: Chén Hú Gōng or Hu Gong Man; fl. 11th century BC) was the posthumous title given to Gui Man (Chinese: 媯滿, with "Man" being his given name and "Gui" being his ancestral temple surname) by his father-in-law, King Wu of Zhou, who founded the Zhou dynasty in 1046 BC. Duke Hu was the founder of the Chen state, a dynastic vassal state of the Zhou dynasty located in modern-day eastern Henan.

During the Western Zhou, commoners began to be identified by their place of residence, which would go on to become their lineage surname. As the first ruler of Chen state, Duke Hu is therefore regarded as the originator of the surname Chen, one of the more prevalent family names in China, although he is not directly related as apical ancestor to many of the people who carry the name. After being granted the posthumous title of Duke Hu, his descendants began to use Hu as their surname. It was common during this time for descendants to take the posthumous title as their lineage surname, just as it was common, if not more so, to use a place name as a surname. Duke Hu of Chen is thus also considered a founding ancestor of those with the surname Hu. The rulers of the Hồ (Hu) dynasty of Vietnam claimed to be Duke Hu's descendants.

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Duke Hu of Chen in the context of Chen (state)

Chen (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Chén) was a state founded by Duke Hu of Chen during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. It existed from c. 1045 BC–479 BC. Its capital was Wanqiu, in present-day Huaiyang County in the plains of eastern Henan province. Chen, the 4th most popular Chinese surname in the world, and members of the Hu clan, the 13th most popular Chinese surname in the world, would claim descent from the Duke Hu of Chen who was in turn descended from the legendary Emperor Shun. At its peak, Chen encompassed fourteen cities in modern-day Henan and Anhui.

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