Ji (surname 嵇)


Jī is the Mandarin pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written in Chinese characters. It is romanized as Chi in Wade–Giles and Kai or Gai in Cantonese. Ji is listed 194th in the Song dynasty classic Hundred Family Surnames. Relatively uncommon, it is not among the top 300 surnames in China.

Origin

According to the Yuanhe Xing Zuan, a Tang-era text on Chinese genealogy, the Ji surname originated from Kuaiji on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in Zhejiang. King Shao Kang of the Xia was said to have enfeoffed one of his sons in the place and his descendants adopted Kuaiji or Ji as their surname. Then, during the early Han dynasty, a branch of this clan was said to have migrated to Mount Ji in Qiao Commandery. They then altered the character of their surname to match their new home.

Later adoption

During the Xianbei Northern Wei dynasty, Emperor Xiaowen implemented a drastic policy of sinicization, ordering his own people to adopt Chinese surnames. The Tongji tribe of the Xianbei adopted Ji as their surname.

Notable people