The Qi Guan Clan#

Clan Name: Qi Guan, pronounced as qí guān

Distribution of the Qi Guan Clan#

Longxi Commandery: Established in the 28th year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (279 BC). The commandery was named after its location west of the Long Mountains, with its administrative center in Didao (present-day Lintao, Gansu). Its territory included the middle reaches of the Tao River east of Dongxiang County, the upper reaches of the Wei River west of Wushan, the upper reaches of the Xihan River north of Lixian County, and the eastern part of Tianshan City in present-day Gansu Province. This region encompasses the areas of Lanzhou, Lintao, Gongchang, and Qinzhou in Gansu.

Tianshui Commandery: Established in the 3rd year of the Yuanding era of the Western Han Dynasty (441 BC), with its administrative center in Pingxiang (present-day Tongwei, Gansu). At that time, its jurisdiction covered Tongwei, Qian County, Dingxi County, Qingshui County, Zhuanglang County, Gangu County, Zhangjiachuan County in Gansu, as well as the northwest of Tianshui City, the eastern part of Longxi, and the northeastern part of Yuzhong.

Origin of the Qi Guan Clan#

The Qi Guan surname originates from the ancient term “qi,” which also means “official” or “position of authority.” Originally, “qi guan” referred to an official title. Although the name “Qi Guan” may have evolved from an official title, there are no direct records of its continuation in later generations in historical documents. The single surname “Qi” has been passed down since ancient times, but combined surnames like “Qi Guan” are not commonly found.

Ancestral Origin of the Surname

During the Spring and Autumn period, various feudal states had officials known as “ji guan.” Therefore, the ancestors of the Qi Guan clan were not limited to one person. The compound surname “Qi Guan” later simplified to the single surname “Qi” during the early Ming Dynasty. Both the Qi and Qi Guan clans share the same ancestral origin and official title.

Migration and Distribution

The total number of people with the Qi Guan surname does not rank among the top 100 in the traditional Chinese list of surnames, but it appears 440th in the Song version of the “Hundred Family Surnames” and 32nd among compound surnames. Historical records mention Confucius marrying into a Qi Guan family and that the Qi Guan title was hereditary. In ancient China, the “ji guan” official was responsible for rituals related to the insertion of hairpins (a symbol of adulthood for girls), and such officials existed in various states from the Pre-Qin period onward. The Qi Guan clan is found in various regions of China, as well as in Taiwan Province, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and other countries.

Hall Names (Tang Hao):

• Longxi Hall: Named after the Qi Guan clan's origin in the Longxi Commandery.
• Tianshui Hall: Named after the clan's origin in the Tianshui Commandery.

Generational Sequences (Zi Bai): It is said that the Qi Guan clan does not use generation sequences based on characters; instead, they follow lineage. Specific generation sequences exist for different branches of the clan, such as:

• Shandong Laiwu Qi Guan: “Shi Qin (Bin Quan Neng) Yin (Ji) Hao (Lin Sheng) Ying (Chong Xuan De Hong Xian) Kui (Wan Zhen Cui Xun Yan) Tai Guo Ming Xin Qing (Zhen Wei Yi) Yuan Hong Sheng Xue Cheng Jun Xiu Qing.”
• Shandong Changyi Qi Guan: “Tong Chang Guo Hua Ji Cheng Zhen Xing.”
• Shandong Dongping Qi Guan: “Li Xiang Xi Zheng Dao.”
• Shandong Zaozhuang Qi Guan: “Ke Kai He Ru Xue Yuan Yi Mai Zhen Chuan Guang You Gong Ji Shi Chang.”
• Anhui Fuyang Qi Guan: “Xian Ming Pei Xian Xin.”
• Other branches of the Qi Guan clan: “Dao Yong Lian Hua He Feng Qing Yun Fa Lu Hong.”

Notable Figures with the Qi Guan Surname:

• (Qi Guan?) (Date of birth and death unknown), a woman from the State of Song, wife of Confucius.