East, West, South, North — When Directions Became Surnames

📝 TL;DR
Directional surnames such as 东郭 and 西门 can be understood through a geo-tag analogy: some traditional accounts connect them with ancestral places. Not every directional surname has the same origin, and one surname may have several lineages. The table presents traditional accounts, not proof of an individual family’s history.

I. If You Meet a “Mr. West Gate”

Imagine this: A new colleague introduces themselves by saying their surname is “West Gate” — Mr. West Gate; another says theirs is “Due East” — Mr. Due East. You might think you’ve wandered onto a set for a wuxia novel.

Yet this is entirely real in China. Surnames such as West Gate, Nan Gong, Dong Guo, Due East, East Gate, South Gate, and North Hall were all once actual surnames, most of which are astonishingly ancient. They aren’t romantic inventions by novelists but rather “location markers” left behind by our ancestors.

Fang Lichen, a scholar specializing in surnames, wrote when tracing their origins:

“The surname originates from the village one lives in or the name of the tribe one belongs to. The clan name comes from the land granted by the monarch, the title conferred upon them, or the official position they hold.”
—— Fang Lichen, Zhengming Daoxing, Civil Aviation Press of China, 2007

In short, a significant portion of China’s earliest surnames were actually addresses. In this article, we’ll use the analogy of “Geo-tags” to explain these directional surnames — they functioned as family coordinates pinned onto maps by our ancestors, still in use today over two thousand years later.

II. Exploring the Core Analogy: A “Address List” Left by Ancestors

Arrange the most common surnames in a row, just like unfolding an address list passed down from our ancestors:

It should be noted that both reference books include dedicated entries for Dōngguo and Dongfang. The stories behind Ximen, Nángong, and Běitáng mostly stem from traditional accounts found in surname books. Yet these surnames are undoubtedly compound surnames—both books list Dōngguo, Dongmen, Ximen, Nanmen, and Dongfang (Fang Lichen’s list also includes Nangong) among their compound surname catalogues.

He Rongzhu categorizes such surnames separately in his Textbook of Name Studies under “Surnames Derived from Residence (Features of the Living Area)”, and he provides a standard entry for “Dōngguo” as follows:

“Dōngguo — Originating from the Jiang surname, ‘Guo’ referred to ancient outer city walls. The descendants of Duke Huan of Qi lived around the eastern gate of the outer city of Linzi and were called Dongguo Daifu. Their surname came from their residence in Dōngguo.”
—— He Rongzhu, Textbook of Name Studies, China Materials Publishing House, 2012

Wang Fu of the Eastern Han dynasty summarized it more concisely in his Qianfu Lun: “Some people take their place of residence as their surname”—in other words, some simply use their living location as their surname. He Rongzhu’s book also cites Zheng Qiao’s Tongzhi·Shicu Lue from the Song dynasty, which expands the ways surnames are assigned to 32 categories, including “surnames based on geography.”

Put simply: In an era without house numbers or household registration books, “where you live” was the most straightforward way to identify a person. Those living near the western city gate would be casually referred to as “the Ximen family,” while those living beside the southern palaces became known as “Nangong.” These names were originally meant for convenience, but once passed down through generations, they solidified into official markers of a family—essentially an ancient version of a “permanent GPS locator” with an accuracy margin of no more than one city gate.

III. Returning to Chinese Surnames: From “Addresses” to “Family Brands”

Directional surnames such as 东郭 and 西门 can be understood through a geo-tag analogy: some traditional accounts connect them with ancestral places. Not every directional surname has the same origin, and one surname may have several lineages. The table presents traditional accounts, not proof of an individual family’s history.

When choosing a Chinese surname, you may appreciate its meaning and cultural associations without claiming a family’s ancestry. Places, occupations, and titles are among the possible sources of surnames; each case needs its own evidence.

IV. Back to Reality: How Surnames Like “Fāngxiàng” Enter Chinese Daily Life

Scene 1: Everyone Turns Around at the Hearing of “Dōngfāng.” When a Chinese person introduces themselves as “My surname is Dōngfāng,” most people will exclaim, “What a unique surname!” They often follow up by asking, “Is it related to Dōngfāng Shuò?” That clever and humorous sage from the Han Dynasty who served Emperor Wu of Han gave this surname an inherent story behind it—Fang Lichen even dedicated chapters in his book to recording legends about him.

Scene 2: A Fable Makes “Dōngguō” Widely Known. “Mr. Dōngguō and the Wolf” is a story that many Chinese children have heard: Mr. Dōngguō, who tried to help the wolf out of kindness, almost ended up being bitten by it in return. Since then, “Mr. Dōngguō” has become a synonym for someone who is overly kind without thinking ahead—a real surname that was permanently “registered” through this fable.

Scene 3: Literary associations. 南宫, 西门, and 东方 appear in wuxia stories and may evoke fictional characters. Their real bearers are ordinary people, and literal meanings cannot replace research into a particular family’s origins.

💡 Cultural Tip: What’s discussed here are the associations and emotions that Chinese people have toward their surnames. Although compound surnames like “Fāngxiàng” sound “wuxia-like,” the people who bear them are ordinary real people. Different cultures remember surnames in various ways—there is no hierarchy, only differences.

V. Practical Tips for You

1. First, check if your surname contains any references to directions. Names like Westgate, North, or Eastwood... If your surname already hints at a direction or place name, look for its corresponding Chinese equivalents (such as Ximen, Bei, Dongfang). This can lead you to a bridge surname that carries a perfectly fitting meaning.
2. When meeting someone with a compound surname, ask, “How did your surname come about?” This is one of the most popular topics in China—almost all compound surnames have a story tied to a location or historical event, and the person is usually happy to share it.
3. When choosing a Chinese surname, opt for ones with a clear origin. Whether it’s a common surname or a compound one, having a surname with an identifiable background gives the entire name a stronger sense of cultural roots.

Looking for a Chinese name that truly “fits” you? Give GetHanName a try—we’ll combine the meaning and background of your original name to suggest a Chinese name that holds solid ground on the cultural map.

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Are surnames derived from directions such as East, West, South, and North still used today?
Yes, but they are extremely rare. Direction-based surnames mostly survive in the form of compound surnames—surnames like Ximen, Dongguo, Dongmen, Nanmen, and Dongfang can be found in the lists of compound surnames in two relevant books, while Nangong appears in a book by Fang Lichen. Single-character surnames such as “East,” “West,” and “North” are now very uncommon, though “South” is slightly more frequent—scholar Nan Huaijin, for example, carries this surname.

Q2: Are direction-based surnames common?
Not at all; they belong to the category of rare surnames. According to data cited by He Rongzhu, The Hundred Family Surnames lists 502 surnames, of which only 81 are compound surnames. Meanwhile, major surnames like Zhang, Wang, Li, Zhao, and Chen account for the vast majority of the population. Direction-based compound surnames are like scattered dots on a map—few in number, but each one stands out.

Q3: Who are the most famous figures with direction-based surnames?
Ximen Bao, a renowned water management official during the Warring States period (with the Ximen surname); Dongfang Shuo, a clever and witty rhetorician from the Han Dynasty (with the Dongfang surname); Nangong Shi, one of Confucius’s disciples praised by him as a true gentleman (with the Nangong surname); and “Mr. Eastside,” well-known from fables (with the Dongguo surname).

Q4: Can I choose a direction-based surname for my Chinese name?
Absolutely—you can. They are highly unique and have clear origins. However, it’s advisable to first consider whether they suit you personally. If your original name or surname already carries meanings related to directions or places (for example, “Westgate” corresponding to Ximen), it would be a perfect match. If you’re choosing one simply for novelty, it might help to seek professional advice—after all, the surname is the most permanent part of one’s name.

VII. Further Reading

• 📖 The Hundred Family Surnames: A Thousand-Year Story of China’s “Surname Telephone Book” —— First understand how Chinese people created catalogs for thousands of families, then explore where common surnames fit within those lists.
• 📖 Rare Surnames: When Your Surname Is Spoken By Just a Few Thousands Across the Country —— Surnames like Ximen, Nangong, and Beitang are part of that “shining minority” group.
• 📖 Wang, Li, Zhang: The Stories Behind China’s Top Three Most Common Surnames —— After learning about rare surnames, discover how these “population giants” came to be.

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References

• Fang Lichen, Zhengming Daoxing, Civil Aviation Press of China, 2007.
• He Rongzhu, Textbook of Name Studies, China Materials Publishing House, 2012.

This article is originally published on the GetHanName blog at gethanname.com. Please contact us if you would like to reproduce it.