While the family names of Minamoto and Taira were both conferred on princes and princesses, many of those who received the title of Taira were said to have been the emperor's grandchildren or more distant relatives; therefore, the Taira clan was considered to hold a lower rank than the Minamoto clan.
源氏と同じく、皇子皇女の処遇として賜姓が行われたが、天皇の孫以降の代に賜姓を受けた例が多いと言われ、そのため源氏よりも格は下とされる。