Interpretation of the Qu (瞿) Totem

【Meaning】 The character Qu (瞿) literally means "the eyes of an eagle." Its original meaning refers to the sharp gaze of a bird of prey. It is an associative compound character where "佳" (Jia) represents an eagle or bird, and "目" (Mu) represents its wide-open, watchful eyes. Additionally, "Qu" is the name of a specific bird, known as the Myna (Crested Myna).

【Origin】

1. From an Ancestor's Name: The Shang King Wu Yi was named Qu, and later "Qu" became a place name. His descendants were enfeoffed in Qushang (modern-day Qushang City, Shuangliu County, Chengdu, Sichuan) and were known as Qu Fu. Their descendants adopted the ancestor's name as their surname.

2. From a State Name: Among the bronze vessels of the Shang Dynasty, there is the "Qu Fu Ding" (Tripod of Qu Fu), suggesting that people adopted the name of their state/fief as their surname.

3. From a Place Name: Shang Qu, a disciple of Confucius and a native of the State of Lu, was born in Shuangliu, Sichuan, and lived in Qushang. His former residence was known as Shangqu-li. Later, people living in this area adopted either "Shang" or "Qu" as their surnames based on the location.

Clan Archives

• Founding Ancestor: Qu Fu (Descendant of King Wu Yi of Shang)

• Ancestral Birthplace: Shuangliu, Chengdu, Sichuan

• County & Hall Names: Songyang, Gaoping; Chenglong Hall, Songyang Hall

• Current Ranking / Population: 218th / Approximately 440,000

• Song Dynasty Rank: Beyond the top 300

• Existing Genealogies: 41 volumes