Interpretation of the Qin (秦) Clan Totem

Definition of the Character: "秦" (Qin) is the name of an ancient state. In Oracle Bone Script, the character features a pestle at the top held by two hands, with two stalks of grain at the bottom. This symbolizes mature crops, representing a "year of a bountiful harvest" and the act of "lifting a pestle to hull grain."

Origin: 1. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, a descendant of Ji Boqin (the ruler of the State of Lu) was granted the fief of Qin (modern-day Fan County, Henan). His descendants adopted the fief's name as their surname. 2. In 221 BC, Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, unified the Central Plains and established the Qin Dynasty, declaring himself the First Emperor (Qin Shi Huang) with his capital at Xianyang. The dynasty lasted through two emperors over 15 years before being overthrown in 206 BC by the uprising led by Liu Bang. Following the fall of the empire, the royal descendants adopted the state's name as their surname, forming another major branch of the Qin family.

• Ancestral Founders: Qin Feizi, Boyi

• Ancestral Homelands: Fan County (Henan); Xianyang (Shaanxi)

• Prefectural Seats and Hall Names: Tianshui, Taiyuan, Quene (Henei); Sanxian Hall

• Current Rank / Population: 74th most common / Approx. 3.79 million

• Song Dynasty "Hundred Family Surnames" Rank: 18th

• Extant Genealogies: 120 volumes