Huo Family History

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 霍 meaning ‘suddenly’ or referring to the phenomenon of a small hill being surrounded by higher hills: (i) from Huo (霍), the name of a state (located in Shanxi province) granted to Shu Chu, the eighth son of the virtuous King Wen of Zhou (1152–1056 BC) who was the ruler of the state of Huo but was deposed in his late years due to his participation in a rebellion.

After it was annexed by the state of Jin in 661 BC, the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) Traced back to certain minority ethnic groups who lived in present-day Hunan province. Mandarin form of the surname 火 meaning ‘fire’ in Chinese: (i) borne by descendants of officials in charge of using fires during ceremonies and preventing destructive fires.

(ii) Borne by descendants of Huo Ji (火濟), king of an ethnic group in southwestern China during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD).