Surname Overview
The Yi surname is a currently uncommon Han Chinese surname, pronounced yì.
亿 Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 5Origins
Surname Origins
Two origins are given for the Yi surname: an Xianbei tribal group and descendants of Shang Tang. Among Shang Tang's descendants, an ancestor had the style name Tianyi, and some descendants changed their surname to Yi or Yi with the character 乙.
Historical Records
Documentary Attestation
The Zhongwen Da Zidian records the Yi surname through a citation of Xingyuan; the surname's origin is listed as being found in Xingyuan.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
The Yi surname is found in Pingdu in Shandong; Tunliu, Linfen, Changzhi, and Jincheng in Shanxi; Shaowu in Fujian; and Tongjiang in Sichuan. It is also found in Taining in Fujian, Wusheng in Sichuan, Pingtung in Taiwan, Jiangdu in Jiangsu, Fangcheng in Henan, Jiangling in Hubei, and Beijing.
Research Notes
Documentary Limits
The available record only states that the origin of the Yi surname is found in Xingyuan; it does not list a commandery origin, hall name, historical figures, or genealogy generation names.
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