Bestowal of a surname - Shisei

In ancient Japan, people without surnames or immigrants were given new surnames, or their surnames were changed due to a change in status (when a surname is changed, it is called a "changed surname"). In a broad sense, surnames include uji (family names), so there are cases where only kabane (surname) is given, and cases where uji and kabane are given. Originally, under the Yamato Imperial Court, surnames were bestowed by the Emperor according to the person's origin and position at the Imperial Court, and these surnames formed a hierarchy within the Imperial Court. However, it was with the establishment of the eight ranks of surnames (kabane) (684) that a social order based on surnames was established, where kabane such as Mahito, Ason, and Sukune were bestowed based on blood ties and lineage to the Emperor. Because these kabane symbolized the family status and political status of the clans, in the 8th and 9th centuries, the bestowal of surnames was frequently carried out to give higher kabane, such as Ason, and there are approximately 1,200 confirmed cases. There are also new bestowals of surnames when immigrants and slaves were freed, when monks returned to secular life, and when members of the imperial family were demoted to subject status. These bestowals were limited to individuals or a few people, and rarely extended to the entire family. However, from the end of the Nara period to the beginning of the Heian period, confusion of clans and surnames became an issue, and there were cases of high-ranking surnames being bestowed on local powerful clans, parts of clans being differentiated and given their own bestowals, or conversely, being integrated into powerful surnames, and the meaning of bestowal of surnames became mere formality.

[Muneyoshi Sato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代日本において無姓の民や渡来人に姓が新たに与えられたり、地位の変化などによって姓が改められること（姓が改められる場合は改賜姓という）。姓とは広義にはウジ（氏）も含むため、賜姓にはカバネ（姓）のみが与えられる場合とウジ・カバネが与えられる場合とがある。本来は大和(やまと)朝廷のもとでその出自や朝廷での職掌に応じて大王から賜姓が行われ、その姓が朝廷内での序列をなした。しかし、姓による身分秩序が確立したのは八色(やくさ)の姓(かばね)の制定（684）であり、ここでは天皇との血縁・系譜に基づいて真人(まひと)、朝臣(あそん)、宿禰(すくね)などのカバネが賜姓された。これらのカバネが諸氏族の家格や政治的地位を象徴していたため、8、9世紀には朝臣などのより高いカバネへの改賜姓が頻繁に行われ、約1200例が確認できる。また渡来人や奴婢(ぬひ)の解放、僧侶(そうりょ)の還俗(げんぞく)、皇親の臣籍降下などによる新たな賜姓もみられる。これらの賜姓は個人ないし数名に限定され、一族全員に及ぶことはほとんどなかった。しかし奈良末～平安初期には氏姓の混乱が問題化し、また地方豪族への高い賜姓や、氏の一部が分化して独自の賜姓を受けたり、逆に有力な姓への統合などがみられ、賜姓の意味も形骸(けいがい)化した。

［佐藤宗諄］

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