It was a family which became one of the Sankanrei (three families in the post of Kanrei, or shogunal deputy) of Bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) in the Muromachi period, and also became Shugo daimyo (Japanese feudal lords who used to be the provincial military governors) and Sengoku daimyo (Japanese territorial lords in the Sengoku period, or period of warring states) who ruled Echizen Province, Wakasa Province, Ecchu Province, Noto Province, Totomi Province, Shinano Province, Owari Province, Kaga Province, Awa Province, Sado Province and so on.
本姓は室町時代に幕府の三管領の一つとなった一族であり、越前国・若狭国・越中国・能登国・遠江国・信濃国・尾張国・加賀国・安房国・佐渡国などを領した守護大名・戦国大名。