Ye (surname)
Encyclopedia
Ye is the 42nd most common Chinese surname. The same Chinese character
is commonly romanized as Ye in mainland China
and Yeh in Taiwan
from the Mandarin
pronunciation. In Hong Kong
, Macau
, and Southeast Asia
, it is usually romanized as Yip or Ip from the Cantonese
pronunciation, and Yap or Yeap from Hakka
or Minnan pronunciations. It is also a common surname in Vietnam
, where it is spelled Diệp. Less common spellings are Yee and Ee, which are usually alternate spellings for the different surname Yu (余).
in Henan Province. The surname's modern pronunciations are Yè in Mandarin and Yip in Cantonese, but in Ancient Chinese the character Yè (葉) was pronounced ɕiɛp (romanized as Sjep), and its original pronunciation in Archaic Chinese is undetermined. According to the 11th century Guangyun
dictionary, the character was a homophone
of other characters such as 攝 and 歙 which are pronounced shè in modern Mandarin and sip in modern Cantonese. It is not clear when the pronunciation of Yè (葉) diverged from its former homophones.
. According to Sima Qian
's Records of the Grand Historian
, Yu Xiong, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor
's grandson Zhuanxu
, was the teacher of King Wen of Zhou
. After the Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty
, King Cheng of Zhou
(reigned 1042-1021 BC) awarded Yu Xiong's great-grandson Xiong Yi
the fiefdom of Chu, which over the ensuing centuries developed into a powerful kingdom. King Zhuang of Chu
(reigned 613-591 BC) was one of the Five Hegemons, the most powerful monarchs during the Spring and Autumn Period.
A great-grandson of King Zhuang named Shu was appointed yin (governor) of Shen (in present-day Linquan County
of Anhui Province), and became known as Shen Yin Shu
. In 506 BCE the State of Wu invaded Chu with an army commanded by the famous generals Wu Zixu
and Sun Tzu
, author of The Art of War
. Shen Yin Shu, who had risen to the position of sima (chief commander of the army), died in the aftermath of the historic Battle of Boju.
After the war King Zhao of Chu
enfeoffed
Shen Yin Shu's son Shen Zhuliang with the city of Ye, located at the northern frontier of the kingdom. In 478 BC, during the reign of King Hui, Shen Zhuliang put down the rebellion of Bai Gong Sheng (Duke of Bai) and restored the king's rule. He became lingyin (prime minister) and sima at the same time and was awarded the title Ye Gong (葉公, Duke of Ye).
In pre-Qin Dynasty
China, noble families usually had two surnames: xìng (姓, ancestral name) and shì (氏, clan name). Shen Zhuliang, as a member of the ruling house of Chu, shared the ancestral name of Mi (芈) of the Chu kings. He also inherited the clan name of Shen from his father. Due to the fame of the Duke of Ye, however, his descendants adopted Ye as their clan name. Later the distinction between the ancestral and clan names was abolished, and Ye became the surname of Shen Zhuliang's descendants. Shen Zhuliang, now better known as Ye Gong, is considered the founding ancestor of the Ye clan.
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
is commonly romanized as Ye in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and Yeh in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
from the Mandarin
Mandarin
-Officials:* Mandarin , a bureaucrat of Imperial China , Vietnam, and by analogy, any senior government bureaucrat-Language:...
pronunciation. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, it is usually romanized as Yip or Ip from the Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
pronunciation, and Yap or Yeap from Hakka
Hakka
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
or Minnan pronunciations. It is also a common surname in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, where it is spelled Diệp. Less common spellings are Yee and Ee, which are usually alternate spellings for the different surname Yu (余).
Etymology and pronunciations
Although the surname Ye shares the same Chinese character that means leaf/leaves, it actually originated in the 5th century BC from the city of Ye in the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. The city was located in present-day Ye CountyYe County
Ye County is a county in Pingdingshan, Henan Province, China, with a population of 820,000....
in Henan Province. The surname's modern pronunciations are Yè in Mandarin and Yip in Cantonese, but in Ancient Chinese the character Yè (葉) was pronounced ɕiɛp (romanized as Sjep), and its original pronunciation in Archaic Chinese is undetermined. According to the 11th century Guangyun
Guangyun
The Guangyun is a Chinese rime dictionary that was compiled from 1007 to 1008 under the auspices of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. Chen Pengnian and Qiu Yong were the chief editors....
dictionary, the character was a homophone
Homophone
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose and rose , or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too. Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms...
of other characters such as 攝 and 歙 which are pronounced shè in modern Mandarin and sip in modern Cantonese. It is not clear when the pronunciation of Yè (葉) diverged from its former homophones.
Origin
The surname Ye originated from the royal family of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Zhou DynastyZhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
. According to Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
's Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
, Yu Xiong, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor
The Yellow Emperor or Huangdi1 is a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero, included among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697–2597 or 2696–2598 BC...
's grandson Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu , also known as Gaoyang is a mythological monarch of ancient China.A grandson of the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu led the Shi clan in an eastward migration to present-day Shandong, where intermarriages with the Dongyi clan enlarged and augmented their tribal influences...
, was the teacher of King Wen of Zhou
King Wen of Zhou
King Wen of Zhou family name : Ji , Clan name : Zhou Personal name: Chang, known as Zhou Chang or Xibo Chang was the founder of the Zhou Dynasty and the first epic hero of Chinese history....
. After the Zhou overthrew the Shang Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
, King Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou or King Ch'eng of Chou was the second sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1042-1021 BC or 1042/35-1006 BC King Cheng was young when he ascended the throne...
(reigned 1042-1021 BC) awarded Yu Xiong's great-grandson Xiong Yi
Xiong Yi
Xióng Yì , Family name : 芈, Clan name , was a ruler of the Zhou Dynasty vassal State of Chu in 11th Century BCE China...
the fiefdom of Chu, which over the ensuing centuries developed into a powerful kingdom. King Zhuang of Chu
King Zhuang of Chu
King Zhuāng of Chǔ was a monarch of the Zhou Dynasty vassal State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history...
(reigned 613-591 BC) was one of the Five Hegemons, the most powerful monarchs during the Spring and Autumn Period.
A great-grandson of King Zhuang named Shu was appointed yin (governor) of Shen (in present-day Linquan County
Linquan County
Linquan County is a county of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Fuyang city....
of Anhui Province), and became known as Shen Yin Shu
Shen Yin Shu
Shen Yin Shu or Shen Yin Xu was a general of the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China. A great-grandson of King Zhuang of Chu, he was appointed yin of Shen , and became known as Shen Yin Shu...
. In 506 BCE the State of Wu invaded Chu with an army commanded by the famous generals Wu Zixu
Wu Zixu
Wu Yun , better known by his style name Zixu , is the most famous ancestor of people with the surname of Wu . All branches of the Wu clans claim him as their "first ancestor"...
and Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
Sun Wu , style name Changqing , better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi , was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed, and who is most likely, to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy...
, author of The Art of War
The Art of War
The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise that is attributed to Sun Tzu , a high ranking military general and strategist during the late Spring and Autumn period...
. Shen Yin Shu, who had risen to the position of sima (chief commander of the army), died in the aftermath of the historic Battle of Boju.
After the war King Zhao of Chu
King Zhao of Chu
King Zhao of Chu was from 515 – 489 BCE the king of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China. Documents unearthed in the former state also show his title as King Shao. Born Xiong Zhen , King Zhao was the son of King Ping of Chu .-Life:In 506 BCE, King Helü of the...
enfeoffed
Enfeoffment
Under the European feudal system, enfeoffment was the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service. This mechanism was later used to avoid restrictions on the passage of title in land by a system in which a landowner would give land to one person for the use of another...
Shen Yin Shu's son Shen Zhuliang with the city of Ye, located at the northern frontier of the kingdom. In 478 BC, during the reign of King Hui, Shen Zhuliang put down the rebellion of Bai Gong Sheng (Duke of Bai) and restored the king's rule. He became lingyin (prime minister) and sima at the same time and was awarded the title Ye Gong (葉公, Duke of Ye).
In pre-Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
China, noble families usually had two surnames: xìng (姓, ancestral name) and shì (氏, clan name). Shen Zhuliang, as a member of the ruling house of Chu, shared the ancestral name of Mi (芈) of the Chu kings. He also inherited the clan name of Shen from his father. Due to the fame of the Duke of Ye, however, his descendants adopted Ye as their clan name. Later the distinction between the ancestral and clan names was abolished, and Ye became the surname of Shen Zhuliang's descendants. Shen Zhuliang, now better known as Ye Gong, is considered the founding ancestor of the Ye clan.
Ancient China
- Ye Heng (葉衡), Southern Song Dynasty prime minister
- Ye ShiYe ShiYe Shi , courtesy name Zhengze , pseudonym Mr. Shuixin , was a Chinese neo-Confucian of the Song dynasty.A native of Wenzhou, Zhejiang, he was the most famous figure of the Yongjia School, a neo-Confucianism School composed mostly of philosophers from Wenzhou Prefecture in Zhejiang province...
(葉適), Southern Song Dynasty neo-Confucian scholar (1150–1223) - Ye Mengding (葉夢鼎), Southern Song Dynasty prime minister (1200-1279)
- Ye Shaoweng (葉紹翁), Southern Song Dynasty poet
- Ye Chen (葉琛), Ming DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
governor (1314–1362) - Ye Xianggao (葉向高), Ming Dynasty prime minister (1559－1627)
Modern times
- Ye MingchenYe MingchenYe Mingchen was a high-ranking Chinese official during the Qing Dynasty, known for his resistance to British influence in Guangzhou in the aftermath of the First Opium War.-Early career:...
(葉名琛), Qing DynastyQing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
governor of Guangdong Province (1807-1859) - Yap Ah LoyYap Ah LoyYap Ah Loy , also known as Yap Tet Loy and Yap Mao Lan. He is regarded as the founding father of modern Kuala Lumpur, he developed Kuala Lumpur as a commercial and mining centre during the mid-19th century...
(葉亞來), founder of Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
(1837-1885) - Ye ChengzhongYe ChengzhongYe Chengzhong , was a Chinese businessman active during the final years of the Qing Dynasty and a pioneer in the hardware industry who also made considerable contributions to education.-Biography:...
(T:葉澄衷 S:叶澄衷), tycoon and philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
(1840-1899) - Yip ManYip ManYip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...
(葉問), martial artist (1893-1972) - Ye ShengtaoYe ShengtaoYe Shengtao was a prominent author, educator and publisher. He was one of the founders of the Association for Literary Studies , the first literature association during the May Fourth Movement in China....
(T:葉聖陶 S:叶圣陶), educator (1893–1988) - Ye TingYe TingYe Ting , born in Huiyang, Guangdong, was a Chinese military leader. He started out nationalist and went to the communists....
(T:葉挺 S:叶挺), general, New Fourth ArmyNew Fourth ArmyThe New Fourth Army was a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China established in 1937. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Communist Party of China and not by the ruling Kuomintang. The New Fourth Army and the Eighth Route Army...
(1896–1946) - Ye JianyingYe JianyingYe Jianying was a Chinese communist general and the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 1978 to 1983.-Biography:...
(T:葉劍英 S:叶剑英), general, chairman of the national congress of China (1897–1986) - Ye Fei (T:葉飛 S:叶飞), Chinese-Filipino, general of the People's Liberation Army NavyPeople's Liberation Army NavyThe People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...
(1914-1999) - Ye XuanpingYe XuanpingYe Xuanping is the former Governor of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. He is the son of Ye Jianying, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference 1991-2003.-References:...
(叶选平), governor of Guangdong Province, son of Ye Jianying - Ye XiaogangYe XiaogangYe Xiaogang is a Chinese composer of contemporary classical music. He is originally Cantonese but spent his early years in Shanghai. He studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing from 1978 to 1983 and at the Eastman School of Music beginning in 1987...
(葉小綱), composer - Sally YehSally YehSally Yeh , sometimes written as Sally Yip or Yip Sin-Man, is a Cantopop singer in the Hong Kong music industry and an actress in the Hong Kong film industry.-Overview:...
(葉蒨文), singer - Michelle YeMichelle YeMichelle Ye Xuan is a Hong Kong actress. In 1999, she won the Miss Chinese International competition. Ye then signed a contract with TVB from 1999-2005. After she left TVB, She signed with Rich & Famous Talent Management Group Limited to pursue a movie career.Ye is fluent in Cantonese, English,...
(葉璇), actress - Veronica YipVeronica YipVeronica Yip Yuk Hing is a Chinese actress in Hong Kong, who is probably most well known for her roles in "adult" Category III films .-Film career:Veronica Yip was born in Hong Kong and started her...
(T:葉玉卿), former Hong Kong actress - Françoise YipFrançoise YipFrançoise Fong-Wa Yip is a Canadian actress.Yip was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and was raised in Toronto. Her father is Chinese, and her mother is Québécoise. At an early age Yip began studying both piano and dance, but it was piano that she would excel at...
(T:葉芳華), Chinese-Canadian actress - Gloria YipGloria YipGloria Yip Wan-Yee is a Hong Kong actress and singer of Guangdong ancestry, best known for her four films with director Lam Ngai Kai, and to Western audiences, her "special appearance" in Lam's Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky and principal supporting role in the cult classic Saviour of the Soul. ...
(T: 葉蘊儀 S: 叶蕴仪), Hong Kong actress (b. 1973) - Yapp Hung FaiYapp Hung FaiYapp Hung Fai is a Hong Kong footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for South China in Hong Kong First Division League.-Biography:Yapp Hung Fai finished his studies at form 5 level. He scored 13 points in his HKCEE examination and was accepted by Queen's College Old Boys Association Secondary School...
(T:葉鴻輝), Hong Kong soccer goalkeeper - Brandon YipBrandon YipBrandon Yip is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League. He is of 3/4 Chinese and 1/4 Irish descent.-Playing career:...
, Canadian NHL hockey player
External links
- Descendants of Ye visit ancestral lands (in Chinese)
- Sina surname wiki project (in Chinese)