Origins
Two Origins
The surname has two recorded origins: ancient times and the Yuezhi state. One branch arose in ancient times, while another came from the Yuezhi state, whose people later adopted the state name as their surname.
Zhi Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 161,807Zhi / Zhi
Historical Records
Early Attestations
The Warring States Strategies records a person named Zhi Qi during the reign of King Anxi of Wei; the Lushi also records that descendants of the Zhou kings bore the surname Zhi.
Commanderies and Clan Halls
Commandery Hometowns
Prominent Zhi lineages were mainly based in Langya and Dingzhou.
Migration and Distribution
Yuezhi Migration
From the late Warring States period to the early Western Han, the Yuezhi nomadized between Dunhuang and the Qilian Mountains. In 177–176 BCE, most moved to the Ili River basin and areas west of it in present-day Xinjiang, while a minority entered the Qilian Mountains.
Notable People
The Legend of Zhi Fu
According to tradition, Zhi Fu lived during the time of Yao and Shun, who successively offered him the realm. Zhi Fu declined, citing an illness of worry and a lack of time to govern the realm.
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