The Pi Family#

Surname: Pi, pronounced as “pí”

Regions Where the Pi Surname is Found#

• Tianshui Commandery: Established during the Han Dynasty, its administrative center was Pingxiang (located in the northwest of present-day Tongwei, Gansu). During the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was renamed Hanyang Commandery and the administrative center was moved to Jixian (southeast of present-day Gangu). The Wei Dynasty restored the original name Tianshui. In the Western Jin Dynasty, the administrative center was moved to Shangbang (present-day Tianshui). During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Tianshui Commandery was also known as Qinzhou.
• Xiapi Commandery: During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Linhuai Commandery was renamed Xiapi State, with its administrative center in Xiapi, located in the northwest of present-day Suining, Jiangsu. It was reclassified as a commandery during the Southern Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties. Its jurisdiction roughly corresponded to the northwest of present-day Jiangsu.

Origins of the Pi Surname#

There are two theories regarding the origin of the Pi surname:

1. Derived from the Ji Surname: The Pi surname originates from the Fan Surname. It traces back to Fan Zhongpi, a high-ranking official of the Zhou Dynasty. According to “Fengsu Tongyi” and “Yuanhe Xingzuan,” Fan Zhongpi, the second son of Duke Xian of Lu, assisted King Xuan of Zhou in his restoration of the dynasty and was granted the fief of Fan. His descendants adopted the surname Fan. During the Spring and Autumn Period, one of Fan Zhongpi’s descendants took his father’s name as their surname, which later evolved into the Pi surname.
2. Derived from Zi Pi, a Grandee of the State of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period: According to “Xingpu,” the Pi surname also originates from Zi Pi, a prominent official of the State of Zheng.

Migration and Spread: The Pi surname is an ancient one that originated in northern China, with its roots tracing back to Zhong Shanfu, a renowned minister who assisted King Xuan of Zhou in his restoration of the dynasty 2,800 years ago. Although the initial residence of the Pi family was in Shanxi, the actual place of origin can be traced to Jiyuan, Henan. During the Han, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Pi surname became prominent, producing many notable figures in history. For example, in the Later Han Dynasty, there was the famous remonstrance official Pi Jiu and Pi Zhonggu, who served as an official and compiled the “Qin Jia Ji.” During the Three Kingdoms period, Pi Rong was praised by both Liu Bei and Cao Cao. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there were the general Pi Baozi of the Northern Wei, Pi Jinghe, known for his skills in horsemanship and archery, and the scholar Pi Yuan, who wrote “Chunqiu Yi” (15 volumes). The Pi family’s main settlements were in Xiapi and Tianshui, and the surname gradually spread throughout China. Currently, the Pi surname does not rank among the top 300 most common surnames in the country.

Hall Names: Tianshui Hall, Xiapi Hall. Other self-established hall names include Yongfen Hall, etc. Luomen Hall: found in Honghu, Xiantao, Qianjiang, Jiayu, and other areas in Hubei.

Notable People with the Pi Surname:

• Pi Xirui (1850–1908): A Qing dynasty scholar from Shanhua, Hunan (present-day Changsha). He was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations during the Guangxu period and had a profound knowledge of the classics. His works “Wujing Tonglun” and “Jingxue Shili” are introductory texts to classical studies. He advocated for a practical and objective approach to interpreting the classics and treated various scholars’ theories fairly, making him one of the great scholars of the late Qing dynasty. He was also skilled in poetry and prose, and his works include “Shifu Tang Congshu,” “Shifu Tang Biji,” and “Shifu Tang Riji.”