Origins of the Hua (花) surname
Chinese sources record 8 separate lines of origin for the Hua (花) surname, and name 2 commanderies of origin (junwang). Each is summarised below with its source.
North Dynasty phonetic change and surname alteration
During the Northern Dynasties period, some members of the Hua (华) clan whose surname was pronounced with the departing tone changed its pronunciation to the level tone due to phonetic evolution, thereby adopting the surname Hua (花).
Descended from King Wen of Zhou
Another branch of the Hua (花) surname originated from descendants of King Wen of Zhou (Zhou Wen Wang, 周文王), belonging to a branch of the Ji (姬) surname.
Adopted from the plant name 'flower'
One branch of the Hua (花) surname adopted the plant name ‘flower’ (hua) as their surname; their commandery of origin is Dongping (东平).
Derived from the Fan (范) surname (legend of the 'Flower General')
During the late Spring and Autumn period, Fan Yang (Fan Yang, 范鞅) of the State of Jin was hailed as the ‘Flower General’ (Hua Jiangjun, 花将军) for his youthful bravery; later generations, admiring his bearing, adopted ‘Hua’ (花) as their surname.
Jin dynasty people changing surnames
During the Jin dynasty, individuals such as Fan Yongji (Fan Yongji, 范用吉) changed their surname to Hua (花), indicating that the Hua (花) surname also includes descendants of the Jurchen people.
Hui ethnic group’s Sinicization and surname change
Among the Hui ethnic group, some bear the Hua (花) surname, formed through Sinicization and surname change since the Ming dynasty, mainly distributed in Jiangsu (江苏) and Zhejiang (浙江) provinces.
Dai ethnic group’s Sinicization and surname change
During the Ming dynasty, the Dai people of Yunnan (云南) were classified as ‘Flower Dai’ (Hua Dai, 花傣); some thus adopted the Hua (花) surname through Sinicization.
Originated from Dongping Commandery
The Hua (花) surname originated in Dongping Commandery (Dongping Jun, 东平郡) in Shandong (山东); the family’s history traces back to this region, and after multiple relocations, the sixth generation migrated to Taiwan (台湾).
Commanderies of origin (junwang)
- Dongping (东平)
- Kaifeng Fu (开封府)
Hall names (tanghao)
- Dongping (东平)
- Ziyun (紫云)
- Zhushu (珠树)
- Hanying Tang (含英堂)