The Mi Family#

Surname: Mi, pronounced as “mì”

Regions Where the Mi Family is Found#

• Taiyuan Commandery: Established during the Qin Dynasty, located in the area around present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.
• Pingchang Commandery: During the Southern Dynasties, the Dunqiu Commandery was renamed Pingchang Commandery of Xuzhou. This corresponds to the central part of present-day Henan Province, with its administrative center in Dunqiu.

Origin of the Mi Surname#

The Mi surname originates from the ancient Fuxi (Mi Xi) clan. It shares the same lineage as the Fu surname and is a descendant of the Fuxi clan. The Mi surname began with the ancient patriarch Fuxi. In ancient times, the characters “Mi” (Fú, pronounced as “fú” in ancient times but now often pronounced as “mì”) and “Fu” were interchangeable; therefore, the Fu surname was also considered the Mi surname, and their descendants adopted the Mi surname. Fuxi was also known by other names such as Paoshi, Baoxi, Fuxi, Xihuang, Huangxi, and Taihao, and is referred to as Fuxi in historical records. His descendants took either the Mi or Fu surname. For example, a person from the Han Dynasty named Fusheng was also known as Miseng.

Patriarch of the Surname

Fuxi was a tribal leader in ancient times. Legend has it that he invented the Eight Trigrams. The tribe under Fuxi’s leadership was very powerful, with advanced production methods and a high level of cultural activity. As a result, many inventions and creations are attributed to Fuxi. Fuxi is also referred to as Mizhi in some texts. Since the characters “Mi” and “Fu” were interchangeable in ancient times, descendants of Fuxi could use either surname. For instance, a disciple of Confucius named Fuziqian was also called Miziqian.

Hall Names

Mingqin Hall: During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius’ disciple Mibuqi served as the governor of Danfu. Mibuqi was a kind and intelligent person who spent his days playing the qin and creating music, which might not have seemed as diligent as his colleague Wuziqi, who was also a governor of Danfu. Nonetheless, Mibuqi managed the region excellently. People praised him for governing through the art of music, hence the name “Mingqin Hall.” Confucius even praised Mibuqi for having the talent of a great minister.

Migration and Distribution

The Mi surname does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames in either mainland China or Taiwan. It originates from the Fuxi clan. Fuxi was a renowned leader of an ancient clan, whose tribe was powerful, with advanced production methods and a high level of culture. It is said that the Eight Trigrams were created by Fuxi, and there are also legends about Fuxi’s invention of Chinese characters. In ancient times, the Mi and Fu surnames were interchangeable; thus, Fuxi was also referred to as Mizhi. For example, Confucius’ disciple Mibuqi was also called Miziqian. Therefore, the descendants of Fuxi adopted the Mi surname, which is the origin of the modern Mi surname.