Surname Overview
Zi is a currently uncommon surname, pronounced zì. It is found among the Han, Bai, and Manchu peoples.
Zi Surname
Population reference (not a current census): 94,779Zi / Zi
Origins
Main Origins
The Zi surname has multiple origins. One account traces it to the Zi clan of Tianzhu, possibly descendants of ancient Indians who settled in China; another is considered unrelated to the Tianzhu origin, with Zi Changru recorded in the Han period.
Historical Records
Documentary Records
The Zi surname is recorded in Xu Tongzhi, “Clan Groups,” while the record of a Zi clan in Tianzhu appears in Kang Tai's Funan Zhuan.
Migration and Distribution
Distribution
The Zi surname is distributed in Shangyi and Yu counties in Hebei; the Yanbei area of Shanxi; Hekou, Longchuan, and Lushui in Yunnan; Jiading in Shanghai; Gaochun and Wujin in Jiangsu; Taiwan; and Zhenxiong, Dongchuan, and Weishan in Yunnan.
Notable People
Historical Figures
Zi Changru lived in the Han period. In the Song period, Zi E served as a magistrate in Lianzhou. During the Ming period, several hereditary inspectors in Dali Prefecture and Menghua Prefecture were Yi people with the surname Zi.
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