Explanation of the Guo Clan Totem

Meaning

According to the Shuowen Jiezi, Guo (郭) refers to the outer wall surrounding a city, an additional defensive wall built outside the main city wall.

Origin

The earliest ancestor of the Guo surname was Guo Ai, who served as the charioteer for Yu the Great (whose capital was in present‑day Dengfeng, Henan).

Because he lived outside the city walls, he was given the surname Guo.

Another major origin of the Guo surname comes from the Guo (虢) lineage:

• In the early Western Zhou period, two vassal states were established: Eastern Guo and Western Guo.

• Their founding rulers were Ji Shu and Ji Zhong, younger brothers of King Wen of Zhou (Ji Chang).

• Eastern Guo was located in Shan County, Henan, and Western Guo in Baoji, Shaanxi.

• Their descendants took the state name Guo (虢) as their surname.

In ancient times, the characters 虢 and 郭 were pronounced similarly and often used interchangeably.

Over time, the Guo (虢) surname gradually evolved into the modern Guo (郭).

Ancestral Founders of the Surname

• Guo Ai

• Ji Shu

• Ji Zhong

Ancestral Homelands

• Dengfeng, Henan

• Jia County

• Baoji, Shaanxi

Prominent Clans / Halls

• Taiyuan, Fenyang

• Zunxian Hall

Modern Ranking / Population

• 17th most common surname in China

• Approximately 15 million people

Ranking in the Song Dynasty’s Hundred Family Surnames

• 144th

Existing Genealogies

• 476 volumes preserved today