The Ai Family Name#

Family Name: Ai, Pronunciation: ai

Regions Where the Ai Family Name Is Found**#

Xihé Commandery, Yili, Liaodong Commandery

Origins of the Ai Family Name#

The Ai family name has the following origins:

1. It originates from the Uyghur ethnic group, descending from descendants of Aixie Wumu during the Tang Dynasty in the Western Regions. This name was granted by an emperor as a surname.
2. During the Xin Mang period, there was a peasant uprising leader named Aizeng, indicating that the Ai surname may have existed before the Tang Dynasty.
3. It also originated from other ethnic groups. People with the name “Ai” from ancient times adopted it as a surname after assimilation into Chinese culture. Today, the Manchu and Mongolian ethnic groups also have the Ai surname.
4. It originated from the Arab ethnic group, stemming from the Arab-speaking people of Fulin in western Syria. This name was adapted into Chinese after assimilation.
5. It originated from the Mongolian ethnic group and was also adopted as a surname after assimilation.
6. It originated from the Manchu ethnic group and was adapted as a surname after assimilation.

Founding Patriarchs of the Ai Family

Aixie Wumu (Aihongshun), Aixue, Shumulü Aixing'a, Juochacha Ailong'a

Migration and Distribution

The Ai family name is a sinicized surname derived from an ethnic minority. Its total population in mainland China does not rank among the top 300 in the “Hundred Family Surnames” list. In Taiwan Province, it ranks 1,118th. The prominent families of the Ai family originate from Xihé Commandery, Yili Commandery, and Liaodong Commandery.

Hall Names

Xihé Hall: Established based on the family's historical significance in Xihé Commandery. Yili Hall: Established based on the family's historical significance in Yili Commandery. Liaodong Hall: Established based on the family's historical significance in Liaodong Commandery.

Notable People with the Ai Surname

Aisin Gioro Yue Duan: [Living around 1736] (also known as Yuan Duan or Yun Duan), with the courtesy names Zhengzi and Jianshan, and the pseudonym Yuchi Sheng. He was the son of Prince Anhe of the Aisin Gioro clan. Yue Duan wrote four collections of poems: “Honglan Ji,” “Liaoting Ji,” “Chusai Shi,” and “Wutai Shi.” These works were revised by his friends Gu Zhuo from Wujiang and Zhu Xiang from Wuxi, and are compiled in five volumes under the title “Yuchi Sheng Gao” and “Xueqiao Shihua.” He was also skilled in composing music, having composed a musical work based on the stories of Laozi and Yin Xi, titled “Yangzhou Meng.” His compositions are preserved in the “Qu Lu” (Collection of Musical Works).

Aisin Gioro Zaifeng (1883–1951): A Manchu from Beijing, heir to the Chunchun Prince title. He was the father of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. In 1908, he served as a member of the Qing imperial council. After Puyi ascended the throne in November 1908, Zaifeng served as regent. The following year, he acted as the commander-in-chief of the army and navy. After the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, he resigned from the position of regent and lived in seclusion at home.