Qing Family History

The Mandarin form of the surname 慶 means ‘celebrate’ in Chinese and has several origins: (i) from Qing Ke (慶克), the style name of a grandson of the Duke Huan of Qi, who ruled the state of Qi until his death in 643 BC; (ii) it is said to trace back to Qing Fu (慶輔), an official during the reign of King Cheng Tang, the founder of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC); (iii) it also derives from the first element of Qing-Fu (慶父), the style name of a son of the Duke Huan of Lu, who was the 15th ruler of the state of Lu and died in 694 BC.

The Mandarin form of the surname 卿, meaning ‘gentleman minister’ in ancient China, was borne by descendants of gentleman ministers named Qing (卿) during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). This name reflects a significant social class during that period, indicating a role of respect and authority.

The surname 青, meaning ‘green’ in Chinese, has various origins as well: (i) it is said to trace back to Qing Yang (青陽), a clan name of a son of the legendary emperor Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ around the 27th century BC; (ii) it comes from the placename Qin Qiu (青丘), a fief granted to an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC); (iii) it is a shortened form of the compound surname Qing Wu (青烏), adopted by descendants of Qing Wu Zi (青烏子), a mathematician during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD); (iv) this surname is also associated with the Tangut and Di ethnic groups in ancient northwestern China.

The Mandarin form of the surname 清 means 'clear' in Chinese and has two notable origins: (i) it derives from Qing (清), the name of a fief located in Shanxi province that was granted to an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC); (ii) it can also trace back to an ancient state named Qing, which was possibly located in Shandong province.