Origins of the Jin (金) surname
Chinese sources record 9 separate lines of origin for the Jin (金) surname, and name 2 commanderies of origin (junwang). Each is summarised below with its source.
Bestowal of the surname upon surrendered Xiongnu officials
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han (Han Wudi), Jin Midi (金日磾), son of the Xiongnu (Xiongnu) Prince of Xiutu (Xiutu Wang, 休屠王), surrendered to the Han dynasty and was granted the surname Jin (金). His younger brother Jin Lun (金伦) and their descendants all adopted Jin (金) as their surname.
Bestowal of surname upon Mongol defectors
During the Ming dynasty, the Mongol prince Yesen Tügän (也先土干) led his forces in surrender and was granted the Chinese surname Jin (金).
Bestowing the surname upon indigenous peoples of Taiwan
During the Qianlong (乾隆) reign of the Qing (清) dynasty, the Qing court bestowed seven surnames upon the indigenous peoples of Taiwan (Taiwan), one of which was Jin (金).
Name-Avoidance Surname Change
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Liu (刘) clan of the Wu-Yue (吴越) state changed their surname from Liu (刘) to Jin (金) to avoid using the personal name of the state’s ruler, Qian Liu (钱镠); during the Yuan dynasty, a person named Jin Fu-Xiang (金覆祥), originally surnamed Liu (刘), also changed his surname to Jin (金) for name-avoidance.
Origins of the Jin (金) Surname among the Korean Ethnic Group
The Jin (金) surname among the Korean ethnic group is traditionally believed to originate from King Kim Alji (金阏智) of Silla (新罗) and King Kim Suro (金首露) of Geumgwan Gaya (金官伽倻).
Early Han-style surnames among the Manchu
The Jin (金) surname is one of the earliest Han-style surnames adopted by the Manchu; Ahacu, commander of the Huo'er'a (火儿阿) regional commandery at the end of the Yuan and beginning of the Ming dynasties, originally bore the Gulan (古伦) clan name and adopted Jin as his Chinese surname.
Hui Ethnic Group's Arabic Names and Imperial Bestowal of Surnames
The Jin (金) surname among the Hui ethnic group mostly originates from phonetic transliterations of ancestors' Arabic names (e.g., 'Yi Bu La Jin' (亦不喇金)) or imperial bestowal of surnames; Jin Dache (金大车), a Ming-dynasty poet, had ancestors who were granted the surname Jin (金) by the Hongwu Emperor (Ming Taizu).
Sinicization of Manchu surnames
Multiple Manchu surnames, such as Aisin Gioro (爱新觉罗), Jingji (精吉), and Suoerji (索尔济), adopted the Han Chinese surname Jin (金) during the process of Sinicization; some later exclusively used Jin (金) as their surname.
Daur Ethnic Group Surname Change
Members of the Daur (Daur) ethnic group bearing the Aldan (阿尔丹) surname adopted the single-character surname Jin (金), meaning 'gold'.
Commanderies of origin (junwang)
- Pengcheng (彭城)
- Jingzhao (京兆)