The "Wu Shu" recorded that his ancestral family name was actually "Ge" () and his ancestors were originally from Zhu County (諸縣; southwest of present-day Zhucheng, Shandong) before they settled in Yangdu County. As there was already another "Ge" family in Yangdu County before they came, the locals referred to the newcomers as the "Zhuge" – combining "Zhu (County)" and "Ge" – to distinguish them from the other "Ge" family. Over time, Zhuge Liang's ancestors adopted "Zhuge" as their family name.