The Qi Family Name#

Family Name: Qi, Pronunciation: qí

Regions Where the Qi Family Name Is Found**#

Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province; and Xi Chang'an County.

Origin of the Qi Family Name**#

The Qi family name is one of the Chinese surnames, ranking 105th in the “Hundred Family Surnames” tradition. It is currently the 145th most common surname in China, with a population of over 1.28 million people. It is particularly prevalent in Jiangsu Province.

Origins of the Qi Family Name#

There are six theories regarding the origin of the Qi surname:

1. It originates from the noble lineage of the Jin State during the Spring and Autumn period. According to “Yuanhe Xing Zuan” and “Ci Yuan,” Xi, a descendant of the fourth generation of Duke Xian of Jin, served as a high-ranking official of the Jin State and was granted an estate in Qi (the ancient city is located about fifteen miles southeast of present-day Qi County, Shanxi Province). He thus adopted the name of his estate as his surname.
2. It originates from the Ji lineage, descendants of the Yellow Emperor. According to “Guang Yun,” among the Yellow Emperor’s twenty-five sons, fourteen inherited surnames, including Qi.
3. It originates from the Tao Tang lineage, descendants of Yao. According to “Xing Shu Kao Lue,” the Qi surname can be traced back to the descendants of Emperor Yao.
4. It originates from the Sima Qi Fu lineage during the Zhou Dynasty; some believe Qi Fu held an official position related to military affairs, and later generations adopted his name as their surname.
5. It originates from other ethnic groups. For example, during the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu people in Shenyang adopted the Qi surname; the Qi De Li lineage of the Eight Banners also changed to the single surname Qi. Additionally, local chieftains in Xining, Gansu (now part of Qinghai Province), and Nianbo County, Gansu (now in Qinghai Province) also had the Qi surname; the Tu people’s Qi Ga lineage adopted the Han surname Qi. Today, the Qi surname can be found among the Tu, Yi, Manchu, Baoan, Dongxiang, and Hui ethnic groups.

Founder of the Qi Surname#

Qi Xi, also known by the courtesy name Huangyang, was a high-ranking official of the Jin State during the Spring and Autumn period. He served as the Chief of the Central Army under Duke Dao of Jin and later requested to retire due to old age. He recommended his enemy Xie Gu to take his place, but Xie Gu died before taking office, so Qi Xi recommended his son Qi Wu. Confucius praised him for not avoiding his enemies or relatives when recommending people for positions. After Duke Ping of Jin ascended the throne, Qi Xi was appointed as a noble official. Originally of the Ji lineage, he adopted the Qi surname after receiving an estate in Qi in the first year of Duke Ping’s reign (556 BCE).

Migration and Distribution#

The Qi surname originated in the Qi region, which encompassed most of the plains of central Jin. In the twelfth year of Duke Qing of Jin (514 BCE), Qi Xi’s grandson Qi Ying was executed for a crime, and his estate was confiscated, causing the Qi descendants to scatter across the Jin territory. After the division of Jin among three families, the Qi surname spread to Shanxi, Hebei, Henan, and other provinces. During the Western Han Dynasty, Qi Xi Hou Ta and Qi Tai Bo were recorded in historical texts, indicating that the Qi surname had already settled in Shaanxi. During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Qi surname was still relatively rare. However, according to “Jun Wang Bai Jia Xing” and “Xing Shu Kao Lue,” the Qi surname was associated with two prominent clans: Taiyuan and Fufeng. This period saw significant social unrest and ethnic integration, leading to widespread migration. As a result, the Qi surname also spread to the south. For example, during the Three Kingdoms period, Qi Geng from Kuaiji (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang) and Qi Xian from Hedong (now Xia County, Shanxi) were mentioned in historical records. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Qi surname became more widespread in the north, with populations in present-day Shandong and Gansu. By the Song dynasty, especially the Southern Song period, the Qi surname became more prevalent in the south, with many people recorded in historical texts from Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi. Social unrest at the end of the Yuan and beginning of the Ming dynasties led to a sharp decline in population in the Central Plains and East China. During the early Ming dynasty, the Qi family from Shanxi was relocated to various places, including present-day Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shaanxi. After the mid-Ming dynasty, the Qi surname became even more widespread across the country. In the mid-Qing dynasty, some members of the Qi family migrated to Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Today, the Qi surname is particularly common in Jiangsu, accounting for approximately 44% of the total Han Chinese with the surname.

Notable People with the Qi Surname**#

• Qi Shun: From Dongguan, Guangdong Province, he was a minister during the Ming dynasty. He served in the Ministry of War and later became a high-ranking official in Jiangxi.
• Qi Yun Shi: From Shaoyang, Shanxi Province, he was an official and geographer during the Qing dynasty. He was appointed as a lecturer at the Lanzhou Sanshan Academy and was well-versed in Manchu literature, studying the geography and history of the northwest regions.
• Qi Cui Zao: Also from Shaoyang, Shanxi Province, he was a minister during the Qing dynasty, holding various high-ranking positions in the military and civil ministries. He promoted traditional learning and was skilled in call