Why is the compound surname, which was often seen, so rare now?

We can often see surnames with many words, such as Tuoba, Yan Hong, Ye Henala and so on, which are called compound surnames. But now we find out why there are so few compound surnames around us. Where have all these traditional surnames gone? There is only one reason: that is, changing the surname to a single surname. The largest surname change in history has occurred three times: in the pre-Qin period, in Taihe of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and in Hongwu of Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty.

First, changing surnames in the pre-Qin period:

In the pre-Qin period, our common surnames were Dongfang, Ximen, Ji Sun, Nangong, etc. Later, due to political reasons, some families declined, and in order to avoid political persecution and other reasons, they began to change their surnames to single surnames. The law is also very simple. For example, those who have the surname of Dongfang are Fang, those who have the surname of Ximen are Men, those who have the surname of Ji Sun are Ji, and those who have the surname of Nangong are Gong.

Second, Taihe changed its surname in the Northern Wei Dynasty

After the Eastern Han, Wei and Jin Dynasties, Wuhu and Sixteen Countries entered the Central Plains, bringing in a large number of compound surnames, such as Helan and Tuoba. After the troubled times were pacified, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty ordered these Hu people's surnames to be changed to Chinese surnames. Except for a few surnames, such as He Ruo and Chang Sun, all the others have been changed to Chinese surnames, and nearly one hundred have been changed. For example, the surname of Gegu changed to Hu, that of Qiu Muling changed to Mu, and that of Helan changed to He. Tuoba's family, the royal family of the Northern Wei Dynasty, changed its surname to Yuan.

Third, Hongwu changed his surname

It was established in the Ming Dynasty, because the Yuan Dynasty ruled for 98 years, so when the regime returned to the hands of the Han people, Zhu Yuanzhang launched Hongwu immigrants, all of which were compulsory national migration. It also stipulates that Mongolian surnames are directly banned, and Han people are required to change their multi-word surnames into single-word surnames. From then on, Gongsun, Shisun and Uncle Sun were all surnamed Sun. Scott's surname is Si, and Yan Hong changed his surname to Wang. By the middle and late Ming Dynasty, there were not many compound surnames of China.

Finally, the Manchu established the Qing regime, and the familiar compound surnames such as Yehnala and Ai Xinjue Roche appeared again. At the end of the Qing dynasty, these surnames were consciously changed to single surnames again. For example, most descendants of Yehnara changed their surnames? So? . Ai Xinjue Roche, the first surname in Guanwai? Zhao? And basically all the people in Shanhaiguan pass changed their surnames? Kim? .

Of course, some of the word surnames changed from compound surnames are other people's surnames.

There was a surname Gong in the Spring and Autumn Period. Nangong was the Nangong, and Gonggong was the Palace, which were different surnames. But then the Nangong changed its surname to Gong, and two different families became one surname. Up to now, there are still many yuan surnames. If we push them up, our ancestors will have the surname Tuoba. But not all ancestors surnamed Yuan are Tuoba's, and it is also possible that they were originally surnamed Yuan.