Taira Family History
Taira Name Meaning
Japanese: written 平 ‘peace’ or ‘level’. Together with the Fujiwara and Minamoto this is one of the most prominent clans in Japanese history. It is listed in the Shinsen shōjiroku. The name appears to have been taken from Taira no Miyako (‘Capital of Peace’) an ancient epithet for the city of Kyōto. The Taira are also commonly called Heike 平家 or Heishi 平氏 from the Sino-Japanese pronunciation of Taira + the words for family or clan.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022