Fukurokuju is said to be the personification of a Taoist monk Tennansho in the Sung Dynasty (Southern Court) (a mythical Chinese Taoist hermit renowned for performing miracles) or an avatar of the southern polar star (Canopus), and is sometimes believed to be the same god as Jurojin (the god of longevity) with a different name.
宋(南朝)の道士天南星の化身や、南極星の化身（南極老人）とされ、七福神の寿老人と同体、異名の神とされることもある。