The core domain was formed using only Ieyasu TOKUGAWA's personal male descendents or various families of the Tokugawa clan and, together with Ieyasu's descendents allowed to use the Matsudaira surname such as Echizen Matsudaira family and Aizu Matsudaira family.
徳川家康個人の男系子孫たる徳川氏諸家は、松平の名乗りのみを認められた家康子孫の諸松平家（越前松平家・会津松平家等）とともに親藩を構成していた。