Surname Overview
Overview of the Qi Surname
The Qi surname is pronounced qǐ and has multiple origins. It is outside the top 500 surnames in mainland China and ranks 336th in Taiwan.
Qi Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 200Qi / Qi
Origins
Two Origins
One branch derives from the Si surname and the state of Qi, taking the state name as its surname. Another derives from the Ziqi branch of the Yi people in the Dali Kingdom of Yunnan during the Song and Yuan periods, taking the tribal name as its surname.
Historical Records
Documentary Records
The Yuanhe Xingzuan records that the Qi surname belonged to the Si lineage descended from Yu the Great; King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed Donglou Gong in Qi, and after Qi was destroyed, his descendants adopted the state name as their surname. It also places the commandery望 at Qi Commandery. The Tongzhi gives a similar account.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery, Hall, and Generation Names
The Qi surname commonly takes Qi Commandery as its commandery望. Its hall name is Qijun Hall, also called Linzi Hall. One branch uses the generation sequence “Lin Guo Pei Ju Xing Cong Zheng Da Li Zhi Shang Guang Ming.”
Migration and Distribution
Migration and Historic Seats
The state of Qi was initially in present-day Qi County, Henan, and later moved to Chunyu, northeast of present-day Anqiu, Shandong. Researchers hold that it had established its capital in present-day Xintai, Shandong, by no later than the Spring and Autumn period; it was destroyed by Chu in the early Warring States period.
Notable People
Historical Figure: Qi Liang
Qi Liang, also called Qi Zhi, was a senior official of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period. He died after advancing through a hail of arrows while attacking Ju. The story of his wife Meng Jiang mourning him later developed into “Meng Jiangnu Weeps at the Great Wall,” but Qi Liang was not a Qin-period figure.
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