Surname Overview
Overview
Ji, written 蓟 in simplified Chinese and 薊 in traditional Chinese, is pronounced jì. It has an estimated population of about 100,000 and ranks 439th as a rare surname.
Ji Surname
Surname profileJi / Ji
Origins
Two Origins
The surname has two stated origins: one from descendants of the Yellow Emperor of the Ji clan, who adopted the name of the enfeoffed state of Ji; the other from residents who adopted the place-name Jizhou in the ancient Fanyang region.
Historical Records
Records of the Ji Enfeoffment
The Book of Rites records King Wu enfeoffing a descendant of the Yellow Emperor at Ji, while the Records of the Grand Historian identifies the recipient as a descendant of Emperor Yao. The state of Ji was annexed by Yan around the seventh century BCE, and later members honored Yu Ji as the surname ancestor.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery Association
The surname's prominent lineage was associated with Neihuang Commandery, established in the Han dynasty with its seat in present-day Neihuang County, Henan. No hall name is listed.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution
Ji families are found in Wujin, Changzhou in Jiangsu; Zhongxiang in Hubei; You County in Hunan; Fenyang in Shanxi; and northeastern Henan. A Henan Ji genealogy records that its founding ancestor came from Ji County in Hebei.
Notable People
Ji Zixun
Ji Zixun was a notable figure of the Jian'an era of the Han dynasty, known in the capital and northern regions for reputed supernatural arts; his story appears in Biographies of Immortals.
Continue your family research
Start with ancestral counties, villages, personal names and dates. Record genealogy titles, volumes, editions and catalog identifiers. A shared surname does not prove a shared lineage; compare branch records.
Surname attestation references
These catalogs or datasets attest written names, not every origin or lineage claim on this page.
This page includes automatically organized material. Check the references and original family documents.
Add or correct information
Submit the information and a reference link for possible inclusion on this page.