Explore the Family Name Ji
The meaning of Ji
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 紀, meaning ‘record’ or ‘era’ in Chinese: (i) from Ji (紀), the name of an ancient state (located in Shouguang in Shandong province) granted to descendants of the legendary Yan Di, the Yan Emperor. After the state was annexed by the state of Qi in 550 BC, the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) adopted in place of another Chinese surname, Shu (舒), during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 季, meaning ‘youngest son’ in ancient Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of Ji Lian (季連), the youngest son of Lu Zhong, a descendant of the legendary king Zhuanxu (traditional dates: 2514–2437 BC). (ii) said to be borne by descendants of Ji You (季友), the youngest son of the Duke Huan of Lu (the 15th ruler of the state of Lu, died 694 BC). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 冀, meaning ‘hope’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Ji (冀), the name of an ancient state (located in Shanxi province). After it was annexed by the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) from the placename Ji (冀), the name of a fief (located in Shanxi province) granted to Xi Rui, an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 4. Mandarin form of the surname 姬, a complimentary term for ‘women’ in ancient Chinese: said to be the original surname of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc), perhaps from the name of a river called Ji Shui (姬水). This was also the surname of the royal family of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC) and the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BC). 5. Mandarin form of the surname 籍, meaning ‘books’ in ancient Chinese, borne by the descendants of Bo Yan, an official in charge of classical books and historical records in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 6. Mandarin form of the surname 嵇: (i) from the placename Ji (嵇), the name of a hill (located in Anhui province), where people with other surnames Kuai-Ji (會稽) or Xi (奚) migrated and adopted the name of the hill as the surname. (ii) adopted as a surname by the Tong Ji (統稽) and the He Xi (紇奚) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 7. Mandarin form of the surname 吉, meaning ‘lucky’ in Chinese: (i) simplified form of the Chinese surname Ji (姞), originally the surname conferred on Bo Shu, who was said to be a descendant of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc) and granted with the fief Southern Yan (located in Henan province). (ii) from part of the personal name of Yin Ji Fu (尹吉甫), an official during the reign of King Xuan of Zhou (reigned 827–782 BC). 8. Mandarin form of the surname 計, meaning ‘calculate’ in Chinese: (i) possibly from Ji (計), the name of an ancient state (located in Shandong province) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) possibly from the placename Ji Jin (計斤), the original capital (located in Shandong province) of the state of Ju during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). 9. Mandarin form of the surname 薊, denoting a kind of thistle in Chinese: from the placename Ji (薊) (located in present-day Beijing). 10. Mandarin form of the surname 暨, meaning ‘and’ or ‘as well as’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Ji (暨), the name of a fief (thought to have been located in Jiangsu province) during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Gai (概) in order to escape from feud and persecution. 11. Mandarin form of the surname 汲, meaning ‘sap, draw water’ in Chinese: (i) from Ji (汲), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Henan province) during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC), which was annexed by the state of Wey and became a fief granted to the crown prince of Duke Xuan of Wey (ruler of the state of Wey, died 700 BC). The name of the state (fief) was then adopted as a surname by the residents. (ii) from the placename Ji (汲), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) in the state of Qi granted to the descendants of Duke Xuan of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 301 BC). (iii) said to be borne by the descendants of the royal families in the state of Chen during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) a surname from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Hong, Sang, Yong, Kyung, Wei, Young, Yuhe, Chen, Dong, Fang, Guoping, Hongbin. Korean Chang, Dae, Min, Bok Nam, Byung, Do Young, Dong Sik, Hak, Jong Won, Jung Hwan, Jung Ok, Kwang Sun.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ji in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Ji has increased in popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Ji was ranked 13,311th most popular surname but jumped to 8,216th place in 2010. This is a substantial increase of 38.28 percent. The actual count of individuals with this surname also witnessed a significant rise from 2,100 in 2000 to 4,039 in 2010, marking a 92.33 percent increase. Therefore, the proportion of individuals named Ji per 100,000 people in the U.S population went up by 75.64 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,311 | #8,216 | 38.28% |
| Count | 2,100 | 4,039 | 92.33% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.78 | 1.37 | 75.64% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ji
The ethnicity associated with the surname Ji also saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010 based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of individuals with this surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, making up 96.29 percent in 2000 and slightly increasing to 96.91 percent in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races dropped by 17.78 percent, while the percentage of White individuals with this surname went up by 2.47 percent. Meanwhile, the proportion of Hispanics decreased by 39.53 percent. The number of individuals identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained suppressed due to privacy concerns.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 96.29% | 96.91% | 0.64% |
| White | 1.62% | 1.66% | 2.47% |
| Two or More Races | 0.9% | 0.74% | -17.78% |
| Hispanic | 0.86% | 0.52% | -39.53% |
| Black | 0.33% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Ji ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ji is Chinese, which comprises 75.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Korean (16.3%) and Manchurian & Mongolian (2.6%). Additional ancestries include British & Irish, French & German, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 75.8% |
| Korean | 16.3% |
| Manchurian & Mongolian | 2.6% |
| Other | 5.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Ji
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ji have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in South Korea, and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Seoul, South Korea | 17.20% |
| Busan, South Korea | 12.30% |
| Taipei, Taiwan | 11.70% |
| Tainan City, Taiwan | 11.00% |
| Jiangsu, China | 10.40% |
What Ji haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ji is O-F11, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F11 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include C-Z1300 and O-F8, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ding, Chao, Hsu, Xu, Chou, Yuan, Hu, Zhou, Jin, Fu.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ji surname are: A4, R, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many of the Massim groups of Papua New Guinea
Haplogroup O2a is prevalent among Massim ethnic groups, including the populations of Airara, Nomanby, the eastern tip of the mainland, the Trobriand Islands, Gawa, Woodlark, the Laughland Islands, and western Calvados. While Papua New Guinea has been inhabited for over 50,000 years, the Massim may have arrived in the last 2,000 years. Today, these populations remain connected through a traditional island trading system called the Kula Ring. Under this exchange system, residents ensure that goods that are only available on some islands, but that are vitally needed in other islands, are shared among the island populations. Only Massim men participate in the Kula exchange system, and it is common for men to be away from home for months at a time when trading with men from other islands.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Ji have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ji" Surname 25.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Ji" Surname 38.1%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Ji" Surname 54.5%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ji" Surname 8.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ji?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ji are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition