Since family names derive from one's ancestors, and some family lines have died out, it would only be logical that the number of hsing-shih decline over time. Obviously, then, a lot of Chinese names appear to have come from nowhere.
姓既然是繼承自祖先，又有人家斷了香煙，照理說中國人的姓會愈來愈少才對，顯然有很多姓是無中生有的。