In recognition of his military service for the subjugation of the Oshu-Abe clan (the subjugation of Oshu) (the Zen Kunen no Eki [the Early Nine Years' War]) by MINAMOTO no Yoriyoshi and MINAMOTO no Yoshiie, FUJIWARA no Soen who called himself a great-grandchild of FUJIWARA no Michikane of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan was appointed to the Bettoshiki (office of head administrator) of the Utsunomiya (another name of the present Utsunomiya Futaarayama-jinja Shrine in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture), and since the era of his grandson, Tomotsuna UTSUNOMIYA, the family had taken the surname of Utsunomiya.
藤原氏一族の藤原北家の藤原道兼の曾孫を称する藤原宗円が、源頼義、源義家の奥州安倍氏(奥州)討伐（前九年の役）での功により宇都宮（現・栃木県宇都宮市宇都宮二荒山神社の別称）別当職に任じられ、宗円の孫の宇都宮朝綱から苗字（名字）として宇都宮氏を名のる。