Historical Records
Surname attestation
“Azhi” is recorded as a surname in Chinese-language surname references. The webpage says that the Dictionary of Surnames cites the Compilation of Chinese Surnames as listing it. This confirms only a secondary citation, not direct verification of the original compilation, and no ethnic affiliation is stated.
Recorded pronunciations
The source records both ā zhī and ē zhī. The ē zhī entry adds that it may also be pronounced ā zhī, while the note under the ā zhī entry says that the Dictionary of Surnames pronounces “阿” as ē.