The Chinese naming system is very complex. It follows precise rules, stating the differences between a person's last name, given name and courtesy name. In particular, the difference between the last two is strictly connected with the rituals that used to bring a child from childhood into adulthood in ancient China.
Chinese last names worked in a different way in the past than they do now. Chinese children used to get their mother's last name. That is because Chinese ancient society was matriarchal and divided into clans.
Through a detailed report of the Zhou Dynasty's history, we discover how the Chinese last name system worked and what has changed over the years and become today's practice.
This interesting discussion on the origins of Chinese last names and clan names shows how the tradition has evolved from the matriarchal to the patriarchal practice.