Explanation of the Liu Clan Totem

Meaning

The original meaning of the character 刘 (Liu) is “weapon.” In ancient inscriptions, the character resembles a warrior holding two blades in a posture similar to performing a dissection.

Origin

Among the descendants of Yao, leader of the ancient Taotang tribe (surname Qi), there was a child born with palm lines resembling the characters “Liu Lei (刘累).” Because of this, he was named Liu Lei.

Liu Lei served under Kong Jia, the 13th king of the Xia Dynasty, and was responsible for taming four dragons—two male and two female. For this achievement, he was granted the surname Yulong-shi (“Dragon Keeper”).

Later, due to improper care, one of the female dragons died. Fearing punishment from Kong Jia, Liu Lei fled with his family from their home (present-day Yanshi, Henan) southward to what is now Lushan County, Henan, where they hid.

His descendants took the character “Liu” from his name as their surname, making them the earliest bearers of the Liu surname in China.

First Ancestor of the Liu Surname

• Ancestral founder: Liu Lei

• Ancestral homeland: Lushan, Henan

• Prominent clans / ancestral halls: Pengcheng, Pei Commandery; Pengcheng Hall

Modern Statistics

• Current ranking / population: 4th largest surname / approx. 67.7 million people

• Ranking in the Song Dynasty’s Hundred Family Surnames: 252nd

• Existing genealogical records:

劉氏圖騰釋義

【 釋 義 】

「劉」的本義是兵器（古代的一種斧鉞）。在青銅器銘文中，「劉」字的字形象徵著一名武士手持雙刀進行解剖或切割的形狀，展現了古代部族強大的武力與生存技能。在文化象徵上，它代表了開拓者的勇氣與嚴謹的秩序。

【 起 源 】

1. 源於陶唐氏（堯的後裔）： 劉氏出自遠古陶唐氏部落領袖堯（祁姓）的後裔。

2. 劉累與御龍氏： 堯的後裔中，有一人出生時手掌纹路酷似「劉累」二字，故取名為劉累。劉累曾為夏朝第13代帝王孔甲馴養兩雄兩雌共四條龍，因此被賜姓為「御龍氏」。

3. 避難與改姓： 後來因飼養不善死了一條雌龍，劉累擔心孔甲治罪，便帶著家眷從原居地（今河南偃師）向南逃往今河南魯山縣隱居。其子孫後代以他名字中的「劉」字為姓氏，這便是中國最早的劉姓來源。

歷史與人口概況

類別

詳情

得姓始祖

劉累

始祖地

河南魯山

郡望

彭城、沛郡

堂號

彭城堂

當今排序／人口

第4位 ／ 約6,770萬人

宋版百家姓排序

第252位

現存家譜

2,200部