胡Hu姓

Origin from Hu Gong Man (胡公满), posthumous title of Shang successor Yu, whom King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed as founder of the Chen state. His descendants split into the Chen and Hu lineages.

Hu clans spread from Henan across the Central Plains. The surname also came to designate several non-Huafan peoples of the western regions and steppes in Han-era records.

Hu lineages expanded south into Jiangxi, Anhui, and Hubei. The 'Luling Hu' of Jiangxi rose as a celebrated scholarly clan producing many jinshi and officials.

The Hu surname took deep root in the central provinces — particularly Hunan, Hubei, and Anhui — through gentry families active in administration, education, and commerce.

Hu is now the thirteenth most common Chinese surname with over 17 million people, concentrated in Sichuan, Hubei, and Hunan, and prominent in modern intellectual and political life.