Genealogy Chinese Names

Tom Genealogy

Origins and History

Information on the Tom clan are found in genealogy documents, books on Chinese surnames, legends, and clan folklore. This scattered information, however, needs to be systematically compiled, integrated, and translated from these Chinese sources into an authoritative treatise. Beyond the difficulties associated with Chinese-English translations, historical discrepancies also require adjudication and explanation. These notes on the Tom clan should be considered as a composite of English translations of some of the Chinese sources. As initial notes, there is, hopefully, a recognition and acceptance that they are imperfect, provisional, and a work in progress that is frequently updated. Currenly, the intent is just to provide an general overview and coherent understanding of the origins and history of the Tom clan.

In general, there seem to be two prevailing views on the origins and history of the Tom clan.

Tom Origins from Four Brothers

The first view is the basis for the Chew Lun Association ( 昭倫公所 ) This is a four clan association that includes the four surnames--Hom (譚 ), Tom ( 談 ), Huey ( 許 ), Der ( 謝 ). The characters for all the surnames used the radical yan 言 on the left. These surnames were all alleged to be derived from a descendant of Chiang Tai Kung ( 姜太公 ) (1210-1120BC), one of the most celebrated generals in Chinese history and worshipped even today in China as a god who protects homes and shops. This descendant, Wei, was the father of four sons. As they were living in the times of political strife, Wei was afraid to bequeath his clan name to his progeny. He therefore only gave them first names, which were Hom, Tom, Huey and Der. When these sons grew up the father cautioned them about revealing their real clan name, but always come to the aid of each other. Later, these sons took their first names as family names, but always remembered their father's injunction to help each other. The Chew Lun four-family alliance came about many centuries later to reunite the descendants of the sons of Wei, who started out as blood brothers.* The Tom, Hom, Huey and Tse clans are found throughout the world and there are also Chew Lun Association branches in many cities and countries. This was initially described under Clan Associations under Genealogy. This information was made available by Washington Tom Lee, Bet Lai, Him Mark Lai, and Lawrence Tom.

Selected China provinces Henan province

Tom Origins in the North China Plain - [ Henan ( 河南 ) and Shandong Provinces ( 山東 ) ]

The second view includes Tom origins in the North China Plain ( 華北平原 ), also known as Zhongyuan, the Central Plain ( 中原 ), considered to be the cradle of Chinese civilization, - specifically notes Henan and Shandong provinces. It is not clear yet, if the Tom clan was using the "Tom" clan name in Henan province.

Within Henan province, the Tom Tribal people probably originated in Hongnong/Wun Lun ( 弘農), renamed during the Qing Dynasty ( 1644 - 1912 ) as Wun Yeong ( 弘陽) sometime after the reign of Emperor Yao ( 堯帝 ) (2337-2258 BC. Hongnong/Wun Lun is now known as Lingbao ( 靈寶市). 1 Another source indicates the location to be more exactly - 40 miles south of Lingbao. 2 My calculation indicates this place would be Lushi city ( 盧氏 ) and in simplified Chinese characters ( 卢氏 ).

Within Shandong province, Zhuan Xu ( 顓頊 ), a nephew of Yi Zhi ( 乙摯 ), the eldest son of Huangdi ( 黃帝 ) , the Yellow Emperor, gave one of his sons the authority to rule the Jiechu tribe living in the present day location of Licheng ( 歷城 ) , a few kilometers east of Jinan ( 濟南市 ) , present day capital, Shandong province. The Yellow Emperor ( surname of "Ji" ) is a legendary Chinese sovereign considered to be ancestor of all Han Chinese and reigned between 2698 - 2598 BC. "Throughout the two Dynasties of Xia ( 夏朝 ) (2205-1766 BC) and Shang ( 商朝 ) (1783-122 BC) the descendants of Zhuan Xu lived there peacefully."

In 1122 BC, King Wu ( 周武王 ) destroyed the Shang Dynasty and founded the Zhou Dynasty ( 周朝 ) ( 1134-256 BC). King Wu gave the ruler of Jiechu ( 杰出), who had helped him, the authority to rule an area called Tan in the western part of the present day Zhangqiu county ( 章丘縣 ) , which was renamed the State of Tan ( 譚國 ) . The States of Tan and Qi ( 齊國 ) were adjacent States. In 684 BC, the ruler of Qi, Chiang Xiaobai ( 姜小白 ) , sent troops, conquered, and annexed the State of Tan. The ruler of Tan and his family fled to the State of Ju ( 莒國), in present day Ju county ( 莒縣) , Shandong. Members of the ruler of Tan adopted Tan as their surname in remembrance of their extinct State.

State of Tan ( 譚國 )

The location of this fiefdom is approximately 35 km east of the present day capital of Shandong province, Jinan and just west of Zhangqiu City, Zhangqiu county, (formerly Licheng county) in a general area known as Longshan. This is the area where the first late Neolithic culture in China was excavated in 1931. The Longshan Culture (3000 – 2000 BC) is noted for its high skill level in pottery making (highly polished black pottery), using pottery wheels and where both stone to bronze tools were in use and it was also marked by the emergence of cities, as evidenced by rammed earth walls and moats. Rice cultivation enabled this establishment of cities. The center of the Longshan Culture was the Chengziya site (Town by the Cliff) along the banks of the Wuyuan River, the site of the State of Tan ( 譚國 ) palace.

Tan Clan Migrations

The conquest of the State of Tan in 684 BC introduced the adoption of Tan as a surname and members of the Tan clan fled to the southeast to a neighboring State, the State of Ju ( 莒國 ). Other sources have also indicated that Hongnong, Henan province Hongnong, Henan Province ( 河南省弘農郡 ); was the Tan Hall Name of origin, is located 40 miles south of Lingbao, Henan province. This Hongnong is also considered the hometown of the Ba people who lived just south of present day Chongqing in a place named Banan. The Ba people, fierce fighters and known for their unusual practice of placing their coffins on the sides of inaccessible cliffs. It is known that there were 6 Tan families that lived among the Ba people that came either from Hongnong or directly from the State of Tan – after it was conquered.

Shandong province

In Linyi prefecture, adjacent to Ju county, is the city of Tancheng ( 郯城 ) and it claims to be the ancient capital of the State of Tom. The Chinese character ( 郯 ) is a surname and the name of an ancient city. The Tom character ( 談 ) is associated with a Lord Tom administered a walled city called Tan during the Spring and Autumn Period ( 722 BC - 481 BC ). Perhaps the ( 郯 ) character is a variation of the 談 character, consequently, Tancheng may be the capital of the State of Tom that was re-established during the Tang Dynasty ( 618 - 907 AD ). One source indicates that there is a record of a Tom Yau Wo, who had a title and was the ruler of a State of Tom . This needs historical verification and additional research into these two surnames and re-established State of Tom.

Using, 901 AD, the birth year of Tan Hong-zhi ( 譚宏帙 ), the first Tom in Guangdong province as a reference year - the approximately 1600 years between 684 BC and 901 AD was the period for the Tom clan migration from Shandong to Guangdong province. There is also information that suggests that the migration of the Tom clan had reached Henan province by the end of the Han Dynasty. There was a considerable concentration of the Tom clan inhabiting the Wang Yeung district of Henan province during the Han Dynasty ( 206 BC - 220 AD ). Tom Hong-zhi had migrated from Jiangxi province to Guangdong province.

Origins of the Tan ( 譚 ) surname

“Tan” is the Pinyin romanization used for the Chinese surname ( 譚 ).

The challenge is to organize the information on the origins of the Tan surname in a coherent explanation and to try to confirm this explanation from historical references and Tan family zupu(s).

Research reveals several surnames as sources for the Tan surname.

The Yellow Emperor ( Huang Di ) ( 黃帝 ), also known as Xuan Yuan ( 軒轅 ) reigned from 2698 – 2598 BC and is considered to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. The surname of the Yellow Emperor was Ji ( 姬 ). The Cantonese romanization of Ji is “Gay or Kay”.

It is said that the Tan ( 譚 ) lineage came from the Yellow Emperor's descendants: his grandson, Zhuan Xu ( 顓頊 ) in 2513 BC appointed one of his sons to be a ruler of a tribe called Jie Chu ( 杰出) in an area located just east of present day Jinan, the capital of Shandong province. This area was renamed the settlement of Tan.

Thereafter, from Zhuan Xu’s grandson, Xia Yu ( 夏禹 ), whose surname was changed to Si ( 姒 ). Xia Yu ( 夏禹 ) had successfully tamed the Yellow River floods and came to be known as the Great Yu ( 大禹 ). For this accomplishment, he was bestowed the surname Si ( 姒 ) by the Emperor Shun ( 帝舜 ). HIs name was Si Wenming ( 姒文命 ). Yu ( 禹 ) was the founder of the Xia Dynasty ( 夏朝 ) ( 2207 – 1766 BC ).

Xia Yu had a grandson called Bo Yi ( 伯益 ) whose surname of Si ( 姒 ) was changed to Ying ( 贏 ) for his meritorious services. He had assisted King Wu, who destroyed the Shang Dynasty ( 1765 – 1122 BC ) and established the Zhou Dynasty ( 1121 – 222 BC ) in 1122 BC and bestowed on Bo Yi the title of Viscount. King Wu also upgraded the settlement of Tan to the State of Tan ( 譚國 ).

A second legend mentions that the Tan surname came from the Yellow Emperor's ( 黃帝 ) son Shaohao ( 少昊 ). From the time of Diku ( 帝嚳 ), Houji ( 后稷 ) and up to the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty ( 周朝 ), the family surname was Ji ( 姬 ). At the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, Wuwang ( 武王 ) appointed Ji Xiao ( 姬孝 ) to the fiefdom of Tan ( 譚國 ) in Shandong Province ( 山東省 ) and he was bestowed the noble title of Hou ( 候 ) or duke ( 譚公 ).

In 684 BC the State of Tan ( 譚國 ) was destroyed by the more powerful neighboring State of Qi ( 齊國 ). The Tan court fled to the State of Ju ( 莒國 ), and thereafter they adopted Tan ( 譚 ) as their surname in remembrance of their lost State. Another source indicates it was the remaining Tan court that adopted the Tan ( 譚 ) surname.

Since legends are lost in the mists of time, there can be no certainty as to their veracity.

But according to the Shijing ( 詩經 ), Chunqiu Zuozhuan ( 春秋左傳 ), Gouliangzhuan ( 虢梁傳 ) and Gongyangzhuan ( 公羊傳 ), the earliest records mention a Viscount Tan ( 譚子 ) who fled to the State of Ju ( 莒國 ) when the State of Qi ( 齊國 ) destroyed the State of Tan ( 譚國 ) in 684 BC. Most sources seem to confirm this. Being descendants of the Yellow Emperor, the ruling family of the settlement of Tan or the State of Tan ( 譚國 ) were surnamed Ji ( 姬 ) which was also the surname of the rulers of the Zhou Dynasty. In essence they were all descendants from the Yellow Emperor and were thus related to each other. Since, it is also quite conceivable that surnames Ji ( 姬 ), Si ( 姒 ) or Ying ( 贏 ) could have been the preceding surnames of Tan surname ( 譚氏 ).

There are large concentrations of the Tan Clan within the Siyi / Sze Yap ( four districts / counties ) 四邑- which is comprised of:

Taishan (Toishan) 台山

Kaiping (Hoiping) 開平

Enping (Yanping) 恩平

Xinhui (Sunwui) 新會

During the 3rd century, an area known as Pingyi was formed covering the area now known as Wuyi ( Xinhui, Taishan, Kaiping, Enping, and Heshan ). Later it became known as Xinhui (Sunwui) , then, as Kong Chow during the 6th and 7th centuries.

Enping was established in the year 1478 and Xinning (Sunning) "new tranquility" was established in 1498 and was renamed Taishan in 1912. Kaiping (Hoiping) was established in 1649 from parts of Xinhui, Xinning and Enping counties. The overwhelming percentage of overseas Chinese in North America have Sze Yap origins.

1. Raymond Tom, et al, "10000 miles & 100 years Journey from JIshi village to Gold Mountain 萬里世紀之旅"

2. http://yutopian.net/names/19/19Tan262.html

3. Him Mark Lai, Becoming Chinese American: A History of Communities and Institutions, Alta Mira Press, 2004, ISBN 0-7591-0458-1

An excellent resource on Chinese Surnames is The Origin of Chinese Surnames by CHUNG Yoon-Ngan, 2002, ISBN 1 876763 66 3. He can be contacted at: chungyn@sdf.lonestar.org. Links to his book are:

http://yn.chung.id.au/ChineseSurnames1.jpg
http://yn.chung.id.au/ChineseSurnames2.jpg

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