Surname Overview
Xi is a relatively rare present-day Han Chinese surname recorded in Xing Yuan and the surname treatises of Zheng Tong Zhi and Xu Tong Zhi.
Xiān Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 2Xiān / Hsien
Origins
Early Origin Accounts
The surname is identified with tribal chieftains of Gaoyang. Xing Shi Xun Yuan also records many bearers in Panyu, Nanhai, and describes it as a surname of tribal chieftains of Gaoliang. It is also found among the Yao people today.
Historical Records
Historical Attestations
The surname appears in Xing Yuan and in the surname treatises of Zheng Tong Zhi and Xu Tong Zhi. Zheng Qiao's annotation mentions Xi Jin, a native of Nanhai in the Jin dynasty.
Migration and Distribution
Geographic Distribution
The surname is broadly distributed and is especially common in Guangdong and Taiwan. It is also found in Taiyuan, Yangquan, and Linfen in Shanxi; Tianlin and Yongfu in Guangxi; Nanjiang in Sichuan; and Lushui in Yunnan.
Notable People
Historical Figures
In the Jin dynasty, Xi Jin served as a military officer in Guangzhou. He was captured and killed while resisting the raider Lu Xun and received the posthumous title Zhongyi. In the Song dynasty, Xi Yilong earned the jinshi degree.
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Surname attestation references
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