Surname Overview
A Rare Surname
Yi (simplified: 蚁; traditional: 蟻; pinyin: yǐ) is a rare Han Chinese surname currently found in Chenghai and Puning in Guangdong, Taiwan, Beijing, and other places.
Yi Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 25Yi / Yi
Origins
Legend of Adoption from Li
One folk legend traces the Yi lineage of Tangtou to the Li surname. A tutor proposed Yi because combining “insect” and “righteousness” forms the character and because Yi and Li were homophones in the local dialect.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Hedong Ancestral Commandery
The Yi surname’s ancestral commandery is Hedong, and the surname is included in the Xu Tongzhi, Shizulüe.
Migration and Distribution
Chaoshan and Overseas Distribution
Putian in Fujian is identified as the point of origin for the Chaoshan Yi lineage. Its founding ancestor in Chaoshan was Yi Xingtian; descendants settled mainly in Xinan and Dongli in Chenghai and migrated relatively early to Thailand and Vietnam.
Notable People
Yi Guangyan
Yi Guangyan was a patriotic overseas Chinese leader. After his assassination, Wu Zhihui composed his memorial inscription and Yu Youren provided the calligraphy.
Research Notes
Divergent Textual Clues
The textual clues diverge: one passage says the Ming-era Wanxing Tongpu did not record the Yi surname, while another identifies Yi with the E surname and attributes this to a similarly titled Wanxing Tongpu.
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.