Explore the Family Name Qi
The meaning of Qi
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 齊, meaning ‘neat’ or ‘identical’ in Chinese: (i) from Qi (齊), the name of a state (originally located mainly in Shandong province) that was granted to Jiang Ziya (also known as Jiang Tai Gong; c.11th century bc), during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) from the first element of the personal name Qi Zi (齊子), style name of an official in the state of Wey during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) traced back to the Qi (齊) family from the Di ethnic group in Wudu (located in present-day Gansu province) in ancient China. 2. Mandarin form of the surname 祁, meaning ‘enormously’ in ancient Chinese: (i) said to be borne by descendants of one of the sons of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). (ii) from the placename Qi (祈), the name of a fief (located in Shanxi province) granted to Xi, an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) from the first element of Qi Fu (祈父), the name of an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC); also the name of an official post in charge of weapons during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 戚, meaning ‘grief’ in ancient Chinese and also denoting a type of weapon: from Qi (戚), the name of a fief (located in Henan province) granted to Sun Lin Fu, an official in the state of Wey during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 4. Mandarin form of the surname 漆, meaning ‘paint’ in Chinese: (i) shortened form of the Chinese compound surname Qi-Diao (漆雕), said to be descendants of Qi-Diao Kai (漆雕開), a pupil of Confucius (551–479 BC). (ii) said to be from the Sou Man ethnic group (found mostly in present-day Shandong province). (iii) from the placename Qi (漆), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) granted to an official in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) possibly from Qi (漆), the name of a river in Shaanxi province. 5. Mandarin form of the surname 亓: shortened form of the Chinese compound surname Qi-Guan (亓官), the name of an official post in charge of the marriage of women in ancient China. 6. Mandarin form of the surname 蕲: (i) from Qi (蕲), the name of an ancient state (located in Anhui province) during Warring States period (475–221 BC), which was annexed by the state of Chu. (ii) from Qi Chun (蕲春), the name of a state (located in Qichun in present-day Hubei province) during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). 7. Mandarin form of the surname 啓, meaning ‘open’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Qi (啓), style name of the second king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) from the personal name Qi (啓), style name of a prince in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Ming, Min, Hong, Hui, Jian, Lei, Wang, Wei, Wenhua, Xiao, Xiaofeng, Yan, Yong.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Qi in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Qi has notably increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Qi was ranked 22,521 in popularity and by 2010, it had jumped to position 13,042. This significant shift represents a rise of 42.09%. Concurrently, the count of people with the Qi surname more than doubled from 1,066 in 2000 to 2,354 in 2010, indicating a surge of 120.83%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also increased from 0.4 to 0.8 during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,521 | #13,042 | 42.09% |
| Count | 1,066 | 2,354 | 120.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.4 | 0.8 | 100% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Qi
When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Qi, data from the Decennial U.S. Census suggests that it is predominantly connected with the Asian/Pacific Islander community. In 2000, an overwhelming 98.03% of individuals with the surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islanders, a number slightly decreased to 97.62% by 2010. The second most common ethnicity for this surname was White, which saw a growth from 1.03% in 2000 to 1.36% in 2010. There was also a slight increase in those identifying as two or more races, rising from 0.66% to 0.76%. In 2010, there was a small representation of Hispanics with the surname Qi, while other ethnic identities such as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native were not reported.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 98.03% | 97.62% | -0.42% |
| White | 1.03% | 1.36% | 32.04% |
| Two or More Races | 0.66% | 0.76% | 15.15% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.21% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Qi 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 Qi is Chinese, which comprises 88.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Manchurian & Mongolian (5.2%) and Korean (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Chinese Dai, Central Asian, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, Anatolian, and Bengali & Northeast Indian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 88.6% |
| Manchurian & Mongolian | 5.2% |
| Korean | 4.5% |
| Other | 1.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Qi
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 Qi have recent ancestry locations all within China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Zhejiang, China | 16.80% |
| Fujian, China | 16.80% |
| Guangdong, China | 16.80% |
| Hebei, China | 16.80% |
| Sichuan, China | 16.80% |
What Qi 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 Qi is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F265 and O-F11, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hao, Jia, Shih, Yin, Lim, Ren, Lam, Cui, Su, Qin.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Qi surname are: M, G2a, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Qi 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.
"Qi" Surname 57.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Qi" Surname 61.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Qi" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Qi?
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 Qi are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition