Edouard Chavannes

Family Name: The character 沙 refers to small grains of sand or stones. The surname 沙 has multiple origins. One theory traces it back to the legendary Emperor Shennong, from the Jiang clan, named after their settlement. Another theory connects it to the grandson of the Shang king, Sha Geng, whose descendants adopted his name as their surname. Additionally, it is associated with the ancient state of Song during the Spring and Autumn period, derived from the name of a fief called Sha Sui.