Lu (surname 陸)


Lu is the pinyin and Wade–Giles romanization of the Chinese surname written in simplified character and in traditional character. It is also spelled Luk or Loke according to the Cantonese pronunciation. Lu 陆 is the 61st most common surname in China, shared by 4.2 million people. Most people with the surname live in southern China; 44% live in just two provinces: Jiangsu and Guangxi. Lu 陸 is listed 198th in the Song Dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.

Demographics

As of 2013, Lu 陆 is the 61st most common surname in China. It is shared by 4.2 million people, or 0.33% of the Chinese population. Lu 陆 is predominantly a southern surname. Jiangsu province has the highest number of Lu's, accounting for 23% of the national total. Guangxi is a close second, with 21%. Guangdong, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guizhou, and Anhui, all southern provinces, account for another 33%. Lu 陆 is the 6th most common surname in Guangxi's capital and largest city of Nanning and the 10th most common name in Shanghai.

Origins

According to tradition, there are three main sources of the Lu 陆 surname:
1. From Luzhong, a great-great-grandson of the legendary emperor Zhuanxu. Luzhong's father Wuhui was put in charge of fire by Emperor Ku and given the title of Zhu Rong. Luzhong's clan migrated to Pinglu County, Shanxi, and later moved to Pinglu of Shandong, in present-day Wenshang County.
2. From Luhun, a tribe of the Rong nomads who established a state in modern Song County, Henan. In 525 BC, Luhun was annexed by the State of Jin, a major power during the Spring and Autumn period. Many of the Luhun people adopted Lu as their surname.
3. From the Tian lineage of the Gui clan, the ruling family of the State of Chen during the Spring and Autumn period. Chen Wan, a prince of Chen, escaped to the State of Qi after losing a power struggle in his home state. Tian Wan's descendants prospered in Qi and eventually usurped the throne of the kingdom, which became known as Tian Qi. During the Warring States period, King Xuan of Qi enfeoffed his youngest son Tian Tong at Lu 陆, which was named after a branch of the Luzhong clan. Tian Tong's descendants adopted Lu as their surname.

Later adoption

During the Xianbei Northern Wei dynasty, Emperor Xiaowen implemented a drastic policy of sinicization, ordering his own people to adopt Chinese surnames. The Bulugu tribe of Xianbei adopted Lu as their surname. The Xianbei people have since completely assimilated into the Han Chinese. The Xianbei Lu later became highly prosperous. Out of the four most prominent Lu 陆 clans in history, which were based in the commanderies of Henan, Henei, Pingyuan, and Wu, two traced their ancestry to the Bulugu tribe.

Notable people