Surname Overview
Surname Form and Pronunciation
As a surname, it is written 兒, pronounced Ní, and is not simplified to 儿.
Ní Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 2Ní / Ni
Origins
Derived from a State Name
兒 was used as the name of a Zhou-dynasty vassal state and later developed into a surname; in this surname sense it was also written 倪 in later times.
Historical Records
Rime-Book Attestations
The Tangyun gives the fanqie 五稽切, the Jiyun and Yunhui give 研奚切, and the Zhengyun gives 五黎切; the reading is identified with 霓 and the meaning as a surname.
Notable People
Ni Kuan
Ni Kuan lived during the Han dynasty, came from Qiancheng, and has a dedicated biography in the Book of Han.
Ni Liang
The Treatise on Arts and Letters in the Book of Han records one work by Ni Liang; Yan Shigu's annotation identifies him as a person from the Six States period.
Research Notes
Character and Reading Distinctions
The surname 兒 (Ní) is distinct both from 兒 pronounced ér and simplified as 儿, and from the identically shaped component 儿 pronounced rén.
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.