Ye () is a Chinese surname, Chinese-language surname. It is listed 257th in the Song dynasty Chinese classics, classic text ''Hundred Family Surnames'', and is the list of common Chinese surnames, 43rd most common surname in China, with a population of 5.8 million as of 2008 and 2019.

Transliterations and Derivatives

* Ye in Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin, alternatively romanized as Yeh in Taiwan * Yip, Ip, Jip, or Yeap in Cantonese * Iap or Yap in Hokkien and Teochew dialect, Teochew * Yap or Yapp in Hakka Chinese, Hakka * Iek in Eastern Min * Iet in Gan Chinese, Gan * Ip in Macau * Eap in Cambodia * Ijap, Jap, Jip, Yap, or Yip in Chinese Indonesians, Indonesia * Yap, Yip, Yak, Yaap, or Yeap in Malaysia * Yap in Philippines and Singapore

Derivations

* As the Hanja of the Korean surnames romanized as Yeop () and Seop () * As the Chữ Nôm for the Vietnamese surname Diệp * Derived as Effendi, Japri, Yapardi, Yapina, Yappy, Yaputra, Yipman, or other Chinese Indonesian surname, Indonesianized surnames among Chinese Indonesians

Pronunciation

In Middle Chinese, Ye () was pronounced ''Sjep'' (IPA: ). As late as the 11th-century ''Guangyun, Guangyun Dictionary'', it was a homophone of other characters that are pronounced ''shè'' in modern Mandarin and ''sip'' in modern Cantonese.

Distribution

As of 2008, Ye is the list of common Chinese surnames, 43rd most common surname in Taipei Taiwan, with a population of 5.8 million. It is the list of common Taiwanese surnames, 22nd most common surname in Taiwan as of 2005.

Origin

Ye means "leaf" in modern Chinese, but the name arose as a Chinese surname, lineage name referring to the city of Ye (in modern Ye County, Henan) in the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China.葉姓來源及郡望堂號
." According to Sima Qian's ''Records of the Grand Historian'', Yuxiong, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and his grandson Zhuanxu, was the teacher of King Wen of Zhou. After the Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty, King Cheng of Zhou (reigned 1042-1021 BC) awarded Yuxiong's great-grandson Xiong Yi (11th century BC), Xiong Yi the fiefdom of Chu, which over the ensuing centuries developed into a major kingdom. King Zhuang of Chu (reigned 613-591 BC) was one of the Five Hegemons, the most powerful monarchs during the Spring and Autumn period. In 506 BC the State of Wu invaded Chu with an army commanded by King Helü, Wu Zixu and Sun Tzu. Shen Yin Shu, a great-grandson of King Zhuang and the Chu sima (Chu), field marshal, was killed in the aftermath of the Battle of Boju. After the war King Zhao of Chu Enfeoffment, enfeoffed Shen Yin Shu's son Shen Zhuliang with the key frontier city of Ye, in gratitude for his father's sacrifice. Shen Zhuliang subsequently put down the rebellion of Sheng, Duke of Bai, in 478 BC and restored King Hui of Chu, King Hui as ruler of Chu. King Hui then granted him the titles of Prime minister (Chu State), prime minister, sima (Chu), marshal, and Duke of Ye (). In Zhou dynasty China, noble families usually had two surnames: clan name () and lineage name (). Shen Zhuliang, from a cadet branch of the ruling house of Chu, shared the lineage name of Mi () of the Chu kings. He also inherited the clan name of Shen from his father, but his fame led some of his descendants to adopt Ye as their clan name. Later the distinction between the clan and lineage names was abolished, and Ye became the surname of Shen Zhuliang's descendants. Shen Zhuliang, now better known as Duke of Ye, is considered the founding ancestor of the Ye surname.

Notable people

References

External links

Descendants of Ye visit ancestral lands
(in Chinese)
Sina surname wiki project
(in Chinese) {{surname, Ye Chinese-language surnames Chu (state) Individual Chinese surnames