As recorded by Sima Qian, they claimed descent from Zhuanxu, a son of the Yellow Emperor in Chinese mythology, and Yuxiong (鬻熊), a tutor of the King Wen of Zhou in the 11th century BC.

The King Cheng of Zhou (r. 1042–1021 BC) then appointed Xiong Yi, Yuxiong's great-grandson, viscount of the fief of Chu.

[3] More likely, the clan name is a calque of a non-Sinitic dynasty, with modern scholarship believing the character 芈 was used to transcribe a Kam–Tai word also meaning "bear".

[4] Eventually rising to the status of kings, the family retained control of Chu until its conquest by Qin during the Warring States period.

Some regained control of later successor states and the surname remains prominent in the provinces formerly comprising the territory of Chu.