Bai Jia Xing compound surname #57

东门

东门 is read as Dōngmén. It is one of the 60 compound surnames in the expanded Bai Jia Xing sequence.

Pinyin

Dōngmén

Script forms

Simplified 东门 · Traditional 東門

Meaning

east gate; Lu urban residence surname

Five element

Wood

Origin

Time: Spring and Autumn period, 770-476 BCE

Place: Qufu east gate, Shandong

Origin

东门 is traced to Lu Duke Zhuang's son Gongzi Sui, also called Dongmen Xiangzhong, because he lived by Qufu's east gate. Descendants used the residence-name as a surname.

Name meaning

The name identifies a Lu noble branch by urban gate location. It has a strong Spring and Autumn political flavor.

Historical figures