Explore the Family Name Xi
The meaning of Xi
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 奚, meaning ‘slave’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the first element of Xi Zhong (奚仲), style name of an official on whom the title Che Zheng (車正) ‘carriage officer’ was bestowed by Xia Yu, the first king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC), because of his contribution to making carriages. (ii) adopted as a surname by the Tuo Ba (拓跋), Bo Xi (薄奚), and Da Xi (達奚) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 席, meaning ‘mat’ in Chinese: (i) said to be from the name of a person who lived during the reign of the legendary Emperor Yao (c.24th century bc). (ii) adopted in place of the Chinese surname Ji (籍) because it happened to coincide with the personal name of Xiang Yu (232–202 BC), also known as “Hegemon King of Western Chu”. It was taboo in ancient China to bear a surname that coincided with the name of a member of a royal family. 3. Mandarin form of the surname 習, meaning ‘habit’ in Chinese: (i) from Xi (習), the name of an ancient state (unknown location and time). (i) from the second element of the placename Shao Xi (少習) (located in present-day Shaanxi province). 4. Mandarin form of the surnames 郤 and 郄: from Xi (郤) or (郄), the name of a fief (located in present-day Henan province) granted to an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 5. Mandarin form of the surname 郗: (i) from Xi (郗, pronounced as Chi in the ancient times), the name of a fief (located in present-day Henan province) in the state of Su granted to a son of Su Fensheng, an official during the early Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (ii) probably a mistakenly written form of another Chinese surname Xi (郄). 6. Mandarin form of the surname 西, meaning ‘west’ in Chinese: (i) from Xi (西), the name of an ancient state prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). (ii) adopted as the shortened form of the compound surname Xi-Men (西門, literally meaning ‘west gate’) by descendants of Xi-Men Bao (西门豹), an official in the state of Wei during Warring States period (475–221 BC).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Xi in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Xi has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past decade. In 2000, Xi was ranked as the 41,448th most popular surname in the United States, with 495 people carrying this name. By 2010, its rank had improved to 25,620, marking a 38.19% jump in rank. The count of people with the surname also nearly doubled from 495 in 2000 to 963 in 2010, a 94.55% increase. The proportion per 100,000 people bearing the surname Xi also rose from 0.18 to 0.33, an increase of 83.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,448 | #25,620 | 38.19% |
| Count | 495 | 963 | 94.55% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.18 | 0.33 | 83.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Xi
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the surname Xi identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, 94.75% identified as such, and by 2010, this figure had risen slightly to 96.57%. There were decreases in other ethnic identities, however. The percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races fell from 2.02% to 0.73%, a decrease of 63.86%. Similarly, those identifying as White dropped from 1.82% to 1.77%, a decline of 2.75%, while the proportion of Hispanic identifiers also decreased from 1.21% to 0.73%, a 39.67% reduction. No individuals with the surname Xi identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 94.75% | 96.57% | 1.92% |
| White | 1.82% | 1.77% | -2.75% |
| Two or More Races | 2.02% | 0.73% | -63.86% |
| Hispanic | 1.21% | 0.73% | -39.67% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |