gōng sūn 公孙

Migration and Distribution (Lack of information) The Gongsun surname is not among the top 100 surnames in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. In ancient times, the character "Sun" could generally refer to descendants, and the two characters "Gongsun" could also be used to refer to the descendants of princes and nobles. Some descendants of princes and nobles were proud of the title "Gongsun" and thus it was passed down from generation to generation as a surname. There is an ancient book called "Tongzhi" which says that it is rumored that in ancient times, the Yellow Emperor had the surname Gongsun, and then this surname spread widely. The Gongsun surname has a long history. According to the "Lushi," the Xuanyuan clan initially had the surname Gongsun and later changed it to Ji. From this, it is not surprising that the term "Gongsun" has always had a very honorable meaning. It is recorded in the "Guangyun," "After being enfeoffed as a duke, all would call themselves Gongsun." It can be known that during the Spring and Autumn period, the descendants of the feudal lords of the various states were honored as Gongsun. From the "Tongzhi - Genealogy of Clans" which records that "The Gongsun clan is a title for the noble," it can be seen that later the meaning of "Gongsun" was extended, and ordinary people also honored the sons of the nobility as Gongsun, similar to the recent title of "Young Master" for people. It is said that those called Gongsun who were born into the families of the feudal lords in the Spring and Autumn period simply took "Gongsun" as their surname, also known as the Gongsun clan. Thus, among the Chinese people with the surname Gongsun, they are not entirely descended from the Yellow Emperor in a direct line. Some of them are descendants of the nobles from the Spring and Autumn period. Anyway, the long history, nobility, and honor of the Gongsun clan are unparalleled by other ordinary surnames. The prominent families are in the Gaoyang Commandery (around the northwest of present - day Linzi County, Shandong Province) and the Fufeng Commandery (around the east of present - day Xianyang County, Shaanxi Province).