Hou Family History

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 侯, a title approximately equivalent to ‘marquis’: (i) borne by descendants of Jin Ai Hou (晉哀侯, Marquis Ai of Jin, ruler of the state of Jin, reigned 717–709 BC) and Jin Min Hou (晉湣侯, Marquis Min of Jin, another ruler of the state of Jin, died 679 BC), both of whom were killed by Duke Wu of Jin (also known as Duke Wu of Quwo, 754–677 BC), who later became a new ruler of the state of Jin. Their descendants fled to other states and adopted the name of the peerage rank as their surname. (ii) from the placename Hou (侯), the name of a fief (located in present-day Shaanxi province) granted to descendants of Xia Yu, the first king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (iii) from Hou (侯), the name of an ancient state (located in Henan province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (iv) borne by descendants of Hou Xuan Duo (侯宣多) and Hou Yu (侯羽), officials in the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (v) adopted as a surname by families from minority ethnic groups in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD), including the families of Hu Gu Kou Yin (胡古口引), Hou Nu (侯奴), Ke Hou (渴侯), Gu Yin (古引), and Si Fu Hou (俟伏侯).

Mandarin form of the surname 后, meaning ‘empress queen’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the title Hou Tu (后土), borne by Gou Long, an official in charge of lands during the reign of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii) simplified form of the placename Hou (郈, also written as 厚), the name of a fief (located in present-day Shandong province) granted to Gong, son of the Duke Xiao of Lu (ruler of the state of Lu, died 769 BC). (iii) borne by descendants of Hou Zang (后臧), younger brother of Ye Gong (Duke of Ye, c. 550–470 BC), a noble in the state of Chu. (iv) borne by descendants of Yin, an official historiographer in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), who was endowed with the surname Hou (后, meaning ‘wife of the king’) because Yin's daughter became the wife of King Xiang of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died in 265 BC).

Mandarin form of the surname 後, meaning ‘back’ in Chinese: said to be borne by descendants of Hou Zhao (後照), a grandson of the legendary king Tai Hao, who lived even before the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC).

Mandarin form of the surname 厚, meaning ‘thick’ in Chinese: from Hou (厚), the name of a fief (located in present-day Jiangsu province) in the state of Lu granted to Hou Ji (厚瘠), also known as Hou Cheng Shu (厚成叔), an official in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

Variant Romanization of the surname 霍, see Huo; variant Romanization of the surname 緱, see Gou.