Prior to the Ashikaga branch of the Genji clan, a branch of the Fujiwara clan had settled in Ashikaga and assumed the name Ashikaga but in 1181, Tadatsuna ASHIKAGA of the Fujiwara Ashikaga clan was defeated by Yoritomo following an attack by Tadatsuna in cooperation with Yoritomo's uncle, MINAMOTO no Yoshihiro (also known as Senjo Saburo SHIDA, or Teacher Saburo SHIDA, and Yoshihiro SHIDA).
なお、源姓足利氏に先立って、藤原氏姓足利氏が足利荘を根拠としていたが、1181年（養和元年）に藤原姓足利氏の足利忠綱が源頼朝の叔父源義広(志田三郎先生)（志田義広）と結んで頼朝を討とうとしたため、頼朝により滅ぼされた。