She[1] (Chinese: 佘; pinyin: Shé; Wade–Giles: She2, Vietnamese: Xà, Korean Hangul: 사, Japanese Hiragana: しゃ) is a Chinese family name.
She (佘) was listed at the 546th place in the Hundred Family Surnames. Romanization of 佘 has many variations, there are "Siah", "Seah", "Sheh", "Sia".
Origins
According to chronicles, the Yu Clan are descendant of Yu the Great(大禹)'s third son Han(罕). Yu's wife was Tu San Nyu(涂山女) who gave birth to three son. Oldest son Qi(启)，second son Su(窣) and youngest was Han(罕). Han was bestow the Tu(涂) region，and given the title of King Qin of Yu(余庆王)，thus he and descendant uses the state Yu as surname. Yu(余) is derived from Tu(涂), removing the stroke on the left which represent water.
During the regime of Emperor Huai of Jin in 307 AD, the Yu Clan(余) due to Shi Le's Rebellion(石勒之乱) sought refuge in Muzhou(睦州) which is in current day Zhejiang(浙江). During the reign of Emperor Ming of Jin in 323AD, Yu Feng(余諷) became an official of the Jin Dynasty, and in order to avoid a taboo, he changed his surname from Yu(余) to She(佘). From that point on he was known as She Feng(佘諷), thus making him the Grand Ancestor of the She(佘).
Ancestor of She
She Feng
She Feng(佘諷) previously known as Yu Feng(余諷), changes his name during Tai Ning(太宁) Era, is the first She. According to chronicles during Emperor Ming of Jin's time，in the royal court, Yu Feng(余諷) often give advices, and those advices were making the Emperor unhappy, thus commented: "Yu Feng, Yu Feng, you have strong determination. Look at your name，Yu(余) means me, Feng(諷/讽) is jeering(讥讽) at me, your name symbolize that you are my nemesis right?". The Emperor then removed the stroke at the top in Yu(余), bestowing the surname She(佘) which pronounce like snake(蛇). The removing of the stoke on top represent Yu Feng and his descendant will never be successful. She(佘) pronounce like snake(蛇), symbolize trouble comes out of the mouth(祸从口出). Yu Feng went home feeling upset and lost, thinking that since the Emperor treat him like a taboo, he my as well change his name too! Thus became She Wan(佘顽), like an old diehard rock(顽石) that will never hold up their heads. So because of this incident, his descendants followed to have this new surname. And She Wan become the Grand Ancestor of the She Clan. Most chronicles still recognize him as She Feng(佘諷).
She Qin
She Qin(佘钦) was the first to appear in the Chinese national history. She Qin, whose courtesy name was Zheng Guo(正国)，attained Jin Shi(进士) degree. In Tang Dynasty's Kai Yuan(开元) Era in 740AD, he become the Ji Xue Yuan(集贤院) Grand Scholar, which is a title in the imperial court. He was born in Jiangxi Nanchang. Once the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang bestow him to take care of a commandery in Nanchang(南昌)，thus moving his home to Anhui。 She Qin has four son.
- 1st Son, She Rong Hua(佘荣华): Became Zhong Shu She Ren(重书舍人), which is a title in the imperial court， his descendant arrived in Jiangxi
- 2nd Son, She Ming(佘明): Descendant arrived in Fujian Putian(莆田) province, Guangdong Shunde(顺德) province.
- 3rd Son, She Yuan(佘院): Courtesy name was Jin Zhan(景瞻)，descendant arrived in Guangdong Chaozhou province.
- 4th Son, She Ge(佘阁): No chronicles.
Guangdong, Chaozhou
She Clan descendants in Chaozhou has two group, first group come from Anhui, She Shou Zi(佘守之) during Liu Song Dynasty was an official as Chong Zhen Lang(从政郎), during that period there was successive years of war, Song Dynasty moved the capital southwards, thus She Shou Zi himself moved his family to Guangdong Chaozhou. His great great grandson She Kuan Da(佘宽大)，become a young official. His descendants settled down in Chaozhou's Yue Pu(月浦), Yu Zhou(渔州), Feng Xi(枫溪), Yang Shan(羊山), Tang Kou(塘口) and the other She Clan settlement. Till early part of Ming Dynasty, She of Yue Pu(月浦佘) in Yu Zhou, has some descendants moved to Hai Yang(海阳), Chenghai District.
The second group during Ming Dynasty Wang Li(万历) Era (Around 1573AD-1620AD), She Dan Zai(佘淡斋) moved from Fujian Putian(莆田) province to Chenghai District(澄海县)。
Grand Ancestor in Chaozhou
Chaozhou She Clan recognize She Feng(佘諷), thus making him the Grand Ancestor.
- She Shou Zi(佘守之), She XXIX（29th）
- She Lu Sheng(佘辂生), She XXX（30th）
- She Gong Yu(佘公育), She XXXI(31st)
- She Kuan Da（佘宽大）, She XXXII(32nd)
She Shou Zi
She Shou Zi(佘守之) was She Yuan(佘院)'s descendant, was Song Dynasty official as Chong Zhen Lang(从政郎)，later move from Anhui to Guangdong Chaozhou. Which means She Clan have arrived in Chaozhou since Song Dynasty. He has three sons.
- 2nd Son, She Lu Sheng(佘辂生)
She Lu Sheng
She Shou Zi(佘守之)'s 2nd son, has four sons.
- 3rd Son, She Gong Yu(佘公育)
She Gong Yu
She Gong Yu(佘公育) is She Shou Zi's great grandson, pseudonym was Nan Chang(南昌), he has three sons.
- 1st Son, She Guang Da(佘光大)
- 2nd Son, She Ming Da(佘名大)
- 3rd Son, She Kuan Da(佘宽大)
She Kuan Da
She Kuan Da(佘宽大)，courtesy name was Yue Liang(曰量), born in Southern Song Dynasty Emperor Duzong of Song time, third year of Xian Chun(咸淳) Era which is 1267AD, and live till Emperor Renzong of Yuan third year of Yan You(延佑) Era which is 1316AD. He was an official in the royal court as Chao Feng Lang(朝奉郎) (recorded in Book Five of the Jie Yang County Chronicles）. He was later promoted to Pi Chao Feng Dai Fu(辟朝奉大夫), as he settled down in Chaozhou Tao Shan(桃山), thus the descendants recognize him as Grand Ancestor in Chaozhou. He was buried behind Tao Shan Cen Zai Village(桃山岑仔村), and the tomb is currently still standing, the tomb was re-embellish in 1988AD. He has two sons, each developing their homes in the region, their descendants has populated from Chaoshan region to Southeast Asia, his wife Tian Jing(恬静) of Ni Clan(倪氏) give birth to Bo Feng(柏峰), in Yuan Dynasty Tai Ding(泰定) Era (1324AD—1328AD） he move his home from Tao Shan(桃山) to Jie Yang(揭阳). As the village has a round lake like a mirror, it was named as Round Mirror Village(圆镜村). Later as the village was near Han River(韩江) and surrounded by small streams, the residents built their home along the streams, like a new moon, thus giving it a name of Yu Pu Township(月浦乡)。
Currently in Chaoshan region's She Clan recognize him as Grand Ancestor in Chaozhou, instead of She Shou Zi(佘守之).
Prominent People
Pre-modern
- She Saihua (佘赛花), She Taijun (佘太君): Song Dynasty, General Yang Ye's wife。
- She Hui (佘惠): Communist Party of China revolutionary martyr。
- She Xiu Mei (佘修梅): Qing Dynasty official.
- She Qin (佘钦): Tang Dynasty Taixue professor.
- She Zhi Zhen (佘志贞): Qing Dynasty official, Jin Shi (进士) degree.
- Seah Eu Chin (佘有进), Founder of Ngee Ann Kongsi in Singapore.
Modern
- Charmaine Sheh, Actress
- Lynnette Seah, Singaporean Violinist