Explore the Family Name Yi
The meaning of Yi
1. Korean: written 이, in Chinese characters 李, meaning ‘plum’. There are actually three Chinese characters for the surname Yi, but two of the three are quite rare, and one of these is not found outside North Korea. This is the second most common surname in Korea, comprising c. 2. percent of the total population. It is found in every part of the country. Although some sources indicate that there are as many as 546 different Yi clans, only c.100 have been documented. The founder of the oldest clan, the Kyŏngju Yi, was named Yi Al-p’yŏng (李 謁平) and lived in 32 AD. He was one of the six original governors of pre-Shilla Korea. Aside from a few other Yi families that originated from the Kyŏngju Yi clan, most of the other 100 or so clans were formed at the end of the Koryŏ or beginning of the Chosŏn periods. Some Korean Yi families trace their origins back to China. The founder of the Chosŏn Kingdom, or Yi Dynasty, Yi Sŏng-gye (李 成桂), was a member of the Yi clan from Chŏnju. This clan ruled the Korean peninsula from 1392 to 1910. Compare Lee 10, Ri 2, and Yee 6. 3. Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 伊, meaning ‘he or she’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the personal name Yi Yin (伊尹), a famous official who made great contributions to the establishment of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). It is said that he lived along a river named Yi Shui (伊水) (located in Henan province), and thus acquired the surname Yi (伊). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Yi Lou (伊婁) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 易, meaning ‘amiable’ or ‘easy’ in Chinese: (i) possibly from Yi (易), the name of a river (located in Hebei province). (ii) from the first element of the personal name Yi Ya (易牙), also known as Yong Wu, an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), who was famous for his good cooking. (iii) from the first element of the placename Yi Zhou (易州) (located in Yixian in Hebei province). 5. Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 衣 (meaning ‘clothes’ in Chinese), or possibly a mispronounced form of the Chinese surname 殷. See Yin 1. 6. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 弋, meaning ‘small wooden piles’ in Chinese: from the placename Yi (弋), the name of a fief (located in present-day Henan province) granted to descendants of the first king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). 7. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 蟻, literally meaning ‘ants’ in Chinese: (i) said to be from another surname 蛾 (homophonous to 蟻 in ancient Chinese, meaning ‘moth’), which may be derived from E/Yi Xi (蛾析), the personal name of an official in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) possibly a surname from the aboriginals in southern Fujian. 8. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 益, meaning ‘benefit’ in Chinese: (i) possibly traced back to Bo Yi (伯益), said to be the author of Shan Hai Jing (or Classic of Mountains and Seas). (ii) from the placename Yi Du (益都), the name of a county (located in Shandong province). (iii) from the placename Yi Zhou (益州), the name of a town (located in Chengdu in Sichuan province). 9. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 義, meaning ‘justice’ in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Yi Bo (義伯), an official during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC) who wrote an essay entitled Dian Bao, co-authored with Zhong Bo. (ii) from the first element of Yi Qu (義渠), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Gansu province) established by a nomadic ethnic group in northwestern China, annexed by the state of Qin in 272 BC. 10. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 羿, meaning ‘(of bird) going up to the sky with unfolded wings’: from the personal name Yi (羿), or Hou Yi (後羿), the name of a legendary archer prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC), or name of the leader of the clan of Youqiong (possibly located in present-day Henan province) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). 11. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 儀, meaning ‘ceremony’ in Chinese: (i) said to be traced back to Yi Di (儀狄), an official during the reign of the legendary Emperor Shun (c.23rd century bc). (ii) borne by the descendants of an official in the state of Wey (衛) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), who was said to be granted with a fief named Yi (儀). (iii) said to be derived from a post-name Si-Yi (司儀) (akin to the master of ceremonies) in the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC). (iv) said to be borne by the descendants of Zhu Yi Fu (邾儀父), the tenth king of the state of Zhu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (v) said to be adopted in place of another surname of Chen (陳) by some people. 12. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 乙, meaning ‘second’ in Chinese: (i) from Tian Yi (天乙), style name of Tang, the first king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Yi Fu (乙弗) family in the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iii) borne by descendants of Gesi Qiyi, an official in the state of Balhae (located in present-day northeastern China), who was endowed with the surname Yi (乙) by Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang (867–933 AD). 13. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 裔, meaning ‘descendants’ in Chinese: unexplained, possibly traced back to Yi Kuan (裔款), who lived in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 14. Chinese: Hokkien or Hakka form of the Chinese surnames 余, see Yu 1. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Yong, Young, Sung, Sang, Kyong, Song, Chae, Jung, Jong, Sun, Kwang, Chun. Korean Chong, Chang, Pyong, Myong, Chung, Hyong, Chol, Kum, Pong, Byung, Min, Hae.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yi in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Yi" has increased between the years 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Yi was the 2189th most popular surname in the United States. By 2010, it rose to the 2011th rank, marking an 8.13% increase in its rank. Additionally, the count of people with the surname Yi grew by 17.57%, from 15,254 in 2000 to 17,934 in 2010. This increase also boosted the proportion per 100k from 5.65 to 6.08.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,189 | #2,011 | 8.13% |
| Count | 15,254 | 17,934 | 17.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.65 | 6.08 | 7.61% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yi
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the surname Yi identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as such has slightly decreased from 95.02% in 2000 to 94.45% in 2010. There was a notable rise in individuals reporting two or more races (from 1.89% to 2.13%) and those identifying as Hispanic (from 1.35% to 1.80%). The percentage of individuals with the surname Yi who identify as White saw a slight decrease from 1.53% to 1.41%. Meanwhile, Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native identities appeared in 2010 data, not having been represented in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.02% | 94.45% | -0.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.89% | 2.13% | 12.7% |
| Hispanic | 1.35% | 1.8% | 33.33% |
| White | 1.53% | 1.41% | -7.84% |
| Black | 0% | 0.18% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.03% | 0% |
Yi 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 Yi is Korean, which comprises 65.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese (21.7%) and British & Irish (3.0%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Spanish & Portuguese, Vietnamese, Manchurian & Mongolian, and Japanese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Korean | 65.4% |
| Chinese | 21.7% |
| British & Irish | 3.0% |
| Other | 9.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Yi
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 Yi have recent ancestry locations in South Korea and China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Seoul, South Korea | 64.00% |
| Busan, South Korea | 40.00% |
| Gyeongsangnam Do, South Korea | 29.80% |
| Daegu, South Korea | 28.30% |
| Gyeongsangbuk Do, South Korea | 26.20% |
What Yi 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 Yi 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-F1204 and O-CTS723, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Han, Hong, Kim, Chun, Hwang, Song, Kang, Chang, Jin, Lee.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Yi surname are: D4b2b, H, 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 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 Yi 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.
"Yi" Surname 37.9%
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.
"Yi" Surname 25.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Yi" Surname 13.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Yi" Surname 10.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Yi?
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 Yi are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition