Yi Family Name#

Family Name: Yi, Pronunciation: yì

Distribution of the Yi Family Name#

• Fengyi County: During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the region was established as Zuo Fengyi; during the Three Kingdoms period, the state of Wei renamed it Fengyi County, which corresponds to today's Dali County in Shaanxi Province.
• Chengyang: An ancient county name, located within the territory of present-day Shandong Province. The administrative center of Han Chengyang County was Juxian County, which later became a separate state. It was abolished in the early Eastern Han Dynasty and re-established in its latter years. There was also a Chengyang County during the Han Dynasty, located in the territory of present-day Juancheng County, which was a subordinate county of Jiyin County. During the Jin Dynasty, Han Chengyang County was renamed Dongguan, while Chengyang itself became an independent county; this arrangement was abolished in the Northern Qi Dynasty.
• Chengyang Army: During the Jin Dynasty, the Chengyang Army was established in the area around present-day Juxian County and was later converted into the Juzhou region.

Origins of the Yi Family Name#

The Yi family name has three possible origins:

1. From the name of a province: During the Han Dynasty, Guanghan in Sichuan Province was under the jurisdiction of Yizhou. Some people living in this area adopted the name of the province as their surname, forming a branch of the Yi family.
2. From the name of a county: According to the "Taiping Huanyu Ji," there was an ancient county called Yidu (located in present-day Shouguang City, Shandong Province). Some residents of this county used the first character of the county name as their surname, thus forming another branch of the Yi family.
3. From the surname Ying: This origin relates to a descendant of the ancient Zhuanshu Gaoyang clan named Boyi, who was appointed as the leader of the Ying clan and granted the surname Ying. Boyi later became the founder of the Qin state, also known as Qin Shi Huang. His descendants adopted his name as their surname, contributing to the formation of the Yi family.

Founding Patriarch of the Yi Family

The founding patriarch of the Yi family is Boyi. In ancient times, Huangdi's grandson was Zhuanshu, Zhuanshu's son was Daye, Daye's son was Gaotao, and Gaotao's son was Boyi. Boyi's descendants adopted the name "Yi" as their surname and passed it down through generations. Boyi was also granted the surname Ying, and the Ying clan founded the Qin state, making Boyi the progenitor of the Qin dynasty. Therefore, the Yi and Ying families share the same ancestral lineage. The descendants of the Yi family regard Boyi as the founder of their surname.

Migration and Distribution

The Yi family name does not rank among the top 100 most common surnames in mainland China or Taiwan. The Yi family name originates from the Ying clan. In ancient times, Boyi, the leader of the Ying clan (a descendant of Huangdi), was revered by his people, who adopted his name as their surname. Additionally, in the ancient Chengyang County (now Guanghan County, Sichuan Province), some residents adopted the name of the county as their surname. A prominent Yi family clan lived in Fengyi, which is located in present-day Dali County, Shaanxi Province.

Hall Names and Notable Figures

• Huaiyuan Hall: Yi Zhi from the Yuan Dynasty was a highly intelligent and strategic administrator who held positions such as General Huaiyuan and Governor of Qujing. His governance was highly respected by the people.

Common Couplets for Yi Family Ancestral Halls

• Four-character couplet for Yi Family Ancestral Halls: "Wisdom and authority inspire respect from afar; Success in the imperial examinations is passed down through generations." (Written by an anonymous author)
  This couplet refers to Yi Zhi of the Yuan Dynasty, a native of Pushan with strategic skills who held the titles of General Huaiyuan and Governor of Qujing, governing the Puan Road administrative region with great respect.

• Seven-character or longer couplets for Yi Family Ancestral Halls: "Huaiyuan's fame endures; The general's wisdom is celebrated; Emei's talents led to success in the imperial examinations." (Written by an anonymous author)
  This couplet refers to Yi Chang from the Southern Song Dynasty, who was studious in his youth and passed the imperial examinations during the Shaoxing era.