Surnames of Han Dynasty People: A Study on the Surnames Seen in the Han Bamboo and Wooden Slips in Northwest China

The Han bamboo and wooden slips of Northwest China were excavated in the twentieth century. They contain more than 20,000 personal names and serve as important materials to study the naming culture of the Han Dynasty (202 B.C. to 220 A.D.). This paper accounts for, organizes, and classifies these personal names without omissions. According to their detailed analysis, it was common for people in the Han Dynasty to have surnames in which single-character ones are the majority and the two-character ones the minority. In addition, these surnames had two characteristics: First, the amalgamation of clan names and matrilineal names into one surname and, second, the phenomenon of the wife taking her husband's surname after marriage. Based on these findings, this study plays a key role in learning about ancient surnames and their naming system, and gives insights into the origins of surnames in modern times.