Families separated from their head families (26 families) and a number of Buddhist monks (those who were originally court nobles of the Kofuku-ji Temple) who returned to secular life during the time when anti-Buddhist movement was getting stronger (called the Nara peerage, 27 families).
すなわち明治以降に分家した家（26家）と、廃仏毀釈の風潮のなかで還俗した公家出身の興福寺の僧侶（いわゆる奈良華族。27家）がこれにあたる。