The 戴 surname

Dai (戴) is a Chinese surname; its ancestral commandery is Qiao Commandery (谯郡). Surname Culture of Chixi (《赤溪姓氏文化》), compiled by the Chixi Hakka Culture Research Society of Taishan (台山市赤溪客家文化研究会), lists the Dai as one of the Hakka surnames of Chixi Town (赤溪镇).^[1][2]

Origin of the surname[edit]

The Dai surname has three main origins. The first is the Zi (子) surname: early in the Western Zhou, Weizi Qi (微子启), an elder half-brother of King Zhou of Shang born of a secondary consort, was enfeoffed with the state of Song; the eleventh ruler of Song was given the posthumous name Duke Dai, and his descendants took the posthumous name as their surname. The second is the state of Dai of the Spring and Autumn period (around present-day Minquan, Henan): after Dai fell, its people took the state's name as their surname. The third is that after the fall of the Shang, some members of the Yin (殷) royal house changed their surname to Dai.^[1] In the Western Han, Dai De (戴德) and his nephew Dai Sheng (戴圣) compiled the Book of Rites of Dai the Elder (《大戴礼记》) and the Book of Rites of Dai the Younger (《小戴礼记》) respectively, and later Dai families therefore have hall names such as "Zhuli Tang" (注礼堂, "Hall of Annotating the Rites"); a common hall couplet is "谈经世德，注礼家声" ("Expounding the classics: the virtue of generations; annotating the rites: the renown of the family").^[2]

Coming to Taishan[edit]

How the Dai came to Taishan and where they live is yet to be added. Family members who know more are welcome to edit this article.