Concerning who was the first choja, there are the theories that FUJIWARA no Fuhito, who established the base of the Fujiwara clan, was the person (in "Sonpi Bunmyaku" (a text compiled in the 14th century that records the lineages of the aristocracy)), FUJIWARA no Otsugu was the person (in "Nichureki (a kind of encyclopedia)," or FUJIWARA no Yoshiyo was the person (in "Kugyo bunin" (directory of the successive Imperial officials)), but in the present academic world, the most strongly supported theory is that it originated in FUJIWARA no Fuyutsugu, FUJIWARA no Yoshifusa, or FUJIWARA no Mototsune.
初代の長者としては、氏族としての藤原氏の基礎を築いた藤原不比等をもって初代とする説（『尊卑分脈』）、藤原緒嗣を初代とする説（『二中歴』）、藤原良世を初代とする説（『公卿補任』）などがあるが、今日の学界では藤原冬嗣・藤原良房・藤原基経の3代いずれかに起源を求める説が強い。