The 曹 surname

Cao (曹) is one of the smaller surnames of Taishan. According to local genealogies, the forebears of the Taishan Cao moved from Zhuji Lane (珠玑巷) in Nanxiong (南雄) to Lidong (丽峒) in Kaiping (开平) in the reign of Emperor Ningzong of the Southern Song, and in the Song Cao Wenfu (曹文福) moved from Kaiping to Guanghai (广海), becoming the founding ancestor of the Cao of Taishan; his descendants live in Guanghai, Doushan (斗山), Duanfen (端芬), Wencun (汶村), Shangchuan (上川) and other places.^[1][2]

Origin of the surname[edit]

The Cao surname has several main origins. One is from Yan'an (晏安), son of Luzhong (陆终): the Cao as one of the eight surnames of Zhurong (祝融). One is from the Ji (姬) surname: Shu Zhenduo (叔振铎), son of King Wen of Zhou, was enfeoffed at Cao (曹, around present-day Dingtao, Shandong), and after the state of Cao was destroyed by Song his descendants took the state's name as their clan name. Other accounts derive it from the state of Cao of the nine Zhaowu surnames (昭武九姓), among others. Of its ancestral commanderies, Qiao (谯郡), Pengcheng (彭城) and Gaoping (高平) are the best known.^[3]

The genealogies of the Taishan Cao hold that they descend from Cao Xu (曹卹), courtesy name Zixun (子循), a disciple of Confucius and a descendant of Shu Zhenduo. In the Qianlong reign of the Qing, descendants of Zixun from all over Guangdong pooled funds to rebuild the Ancestral Hall of the Worthy Cao (曹先贤祠) on Bingzheng Street (秉政街) by the Little South Gate (小南门) of Guangzhou, which was completed in the 39th year of Qianlong (1774); clansmen in Taishan also donated, and one of the eight groups that took turns in charge of the hall was the "Taishan-Kaiping Fang" (台山开平房).^[1][2]

Coming to Taishan[edit]

According to the Cao Genealogy (《曹氏族谱》) kept in Chaole Village (潮乐村), Guanghai, and in Caohou Village (曹厚村), Doushan, during the reign of Emperor Ningzong of the Southern Song (1195–1224) Cao Ruduan (曹汝端; personal name Ding, 鼎) lived in Zhuji Lane, Nanxiong, and to escape unrest moved with his family to Lidong, Kaiping. His second son, Yuquan (与权), had two sons, Wenbing (文炳) and Wenfu: Wenbing's family lived in Lidong, Kaiping, for generations, and he is the founding ancestor of the Cao of Kaiping, though some of his descendants moved to Hezhou (河洲), Naping (那屏), Chaole, Chaonan (潮南) and other villages in Guanghai; Wenfu moved from Kaiping to Guanghai in the Song and is the founding ancestor of the Cao of Taishan, and the Wenfu Gong Ancestral Hall (文福公祠) was built on Ximenjie (西门街), Guanghai.^[2]

Wenfu had two sons, Bochuan (伯川) and Boda (伯达), whose descendants spread to various places:^[2]

• Bochuan's son Yuanliang (源谅) moved to Qiaotou'ao Village (桥头凹村) in Cuodong (矬峒), around today's Sancun (三村), Duanfen Town; his descendant Shoufu (守富) went to Wencun and founded Long'an Village (龙安村).
• Of the branch of Boda's eldest son Yuande (源德), some moved to Yangjiang (阳江) and some to Hele Village (和乐村), Natai (那泰), Duanfen; the Hele Village line moved to Shakuang Village (沙圹村), Shangchuan, in the Qing; another branch has lived around Nazhang (那章), Guanghai, for generations.
• Yisheng (益盛), son of Boda's second son Yuangui (源贵), moved to Doushan, and his descendants settled in Shentou Village (神头村) and Caohou Village.

The generation names of the Wenfu line are "汉 (Han) 朝 (Chao) 守 (Shou) 吁 (Xu), 魏 (Wei) 君 (Jun) 秉 (Bing) 符 (Fu), 龙 (Long) 翔 (Xiang) 风 (Feng) 起 (Qi), 诗 (Shi) 礼 (Li) 全 (Quan) 家 (Jia)".^[2]

Distribution[edit]

According to the 1979 survey cited in Origins of Taishan's Surnames (《台山姓氏源流》, vol. 1), the Wenfu line lives mainly in Nazhang, Yangtian (洋田), Chaole, Chaonan, Nading (那定), Shishan (石山) and other villages around Nazhang, Guanghai; in Shentou Village and Caohou Village, Doushan; in seven natural villages around Sancun, Duanfen, including Qiaotou (桥头) and Cao'ao (曹凹); in Hele Village, Natai, Duanfen; in Shakuang Village, Shangchuan; and in Long'an Village, Wencun. The book also says that in 1997 the Cao of all Taishan numbered about 1,100 or more households and more than 5,000 people, the great majority of them of the Wenfu line, with some of the Wenbing line.^[2] Caohou Village in Doushan takes its name from the Cao who live together there.^[4]

Ancestral halls and overseas Chinese magazines[edit]

• The Wenfu Gong Ancestral Hall, on Ximenjie, Guanghai Town; after 1949 it was rebuilt as the Guanghai Town Primary School.^[2]

People[edit]

• Cao Yazhi (曹亚志), an early Taishan emigrant who went overseas.^[1]
• Cao Diru (曹迪儒), who followed Sun Yat-sen in the revolution.^[1]
• Cao Guoying (曹国英) and Cao Jinwen (曹进文), revolutionary martyrs.^[1]