Guo Family History

The surname 郭, pronounced Guo, means ‘rampart’ in ancient Chinese. It has several origins, including (i) from Guo (虢, also written as 郭) which refers to the names of two ancient states during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). One, Eastern Guo (东郭), was located in Henan province and was awarded to Guo Zhong, the brother of King Wen of Zhou, before being annexed by the state of Zheng in 765 BC. The second, Western Guo (西郭), was initially in Shaanxi province and granted to Guo Shu, another brother of King Wen. This state was eventually relocated to what is now Henan and Shanxi provinces, where it was annexed by Jin in 655 BC.

Additionally, the original location of Western Guo was absorbed by the state of Qin in 687 BC. Following the fall of these states, Guo (郭) became widely used as a surname. (ii) Another origin of the surname comes from Guo (郭), the name of a different state situated in Liaocheng, Shandong province, during the same dynasty. Following its annexation by the state of Cao during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), locals began adopting the name as their surname. (iii) Lastly, the surname was adopted by people residing outside city walls since Guo (郭) translates to ‘rampart’ or ‘outer wall of a city’ in ancient Chinese.

Another Mandarin surname, 國, meaning ‘state’ or ‘country’, is believed to be derived from descendants of Guo Ai (國哀), who is thought to have been a teacher to Xia Yu, the first Xia dynasty king (2070–1600 BC). This surname could also be associated with certain nobles from the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period. Moreover, it may trace its lineage to the personal name Zi Guo (子國), the style name of a prince in the state of Zheng during this period, or it might have roots in ancient Korea as a significant surname.

The surname 過, meaning ‘pass’ in Chinese, also has roots in ancient states. From Guo (過), this surname originates from an ancient state located in Yexian in present-day Shandong province during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). The adoption of the surname followed the demise of its king Jiao. Lastly, the surname 果, which means ‘fruit’ in Chinese, may be linked to descendants from the state of Ba Zi in Ba County, Chongqing, during the Western Zhou dynasty. It also encompasses a surname within the Manchu ethnic group found in northern China.