Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 氏 originally depicted a person bowing and presenting a gift or token, symbolizing clan identity or family name. In ancient China, it represented aristocratic families or clans who shared the same surname and ancestry. Over time, it evolved from a complex pictograph showing a kneeling figure with an offering to the simpler modern form. The character came to mean 'family name', 'clan', or 'surname', distinguishing different family lineages in Chinese society. Arrived in Japan: The character 氏 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE along with the broader introduction of Chinese writing system (kanji) through cultural exchange with China and Korea. It was formally adopted into the Japanese writing system and is used in Japanese today as 'uji' meaning clan or family name, particularly in historical contexts referring to noble clans.