Origin of The Surname 許/许
The surname Xu 許/许 has multiple theories regarding its origin.
The most credible one states that the surname Xu originated from the feudal state of Xu the area of Xuchang in present day Henan during the Zhou Dynasty. The Xu feudal state had been bestowed on a lord with the surname of Jiang, thereby founding the Xu clan. This may be confusing, but as an example, take the Han Dynasty emperors, who had names like Han Gaozu meaning 'Gaozu', of the 'Han', but in actuality carried the surname of Liu.
A different theory states that the surname originated with the fabled Xu You, a sage of the time of the fabled Emperor Yao, not to be confused with the later Xu You who was a military strategist of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period. Xu You's descendants carried on the surname of their famed ancestor, thereby establishing Xu as a surname.
Later on in the history of ancient China, it became popular among scholars of the time to postulate that Xu You must have been the ancestor of that feudal lord who had changed his name to Xu. However, this theory does in fact fit nicely with the story told of Xu You, where the sage, upon hearing Emperor Yao's invitation to become the overseeing governor of 9 provinces, promptly washed his ears in the Ying River, the largest tributary of the Huai River with its origin in Henan to show that the emperor's promise of fame and fortune had sullied his ears.
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Famous quotes containing the words origin of and/or origin:
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“High treason, when it is resistance to tyranny here below, has its origin in, and is first committed by, the power that makes and forever re-creates man.”
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