The Sakanoue clan is said to have been the descendant of Emperor Ling of the Later Han Dynasty, and the ancestor of the clan is said to have been Prince Achi (Achi no Omi), who was naturalized in Japan in the era of Emperor Ojin.
後漢霊帝(漢)の後裔と言われ、応神天皇の時代に日本に帰化した阿智王（阿智使主）を祖とすると伝わる。