Find out how popular the last name Chi is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chi.

Chi, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chi in America

Chi is the 4843rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chi surname appeared 7,273 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Chi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chi to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chi

The surname "Chi" is a Chinese name that originated in the Guangdong province of southern China during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is derived from the Chinese word "chi," which means "pool" or "pond."

The earliest recorded appearance of this surname dates back to the late 15th century, when it was documented in local genealogical records from the Guangdong region. It is believed that the name originated as a descriptive surname, likely referring to a family that lived near a body of water or whose ancestors were associated with fishing or other water-related activities.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "Chi" was Chi Xiangyuan, a scholar and philosopher who lived during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the Neo-Confucian movement and his influential writings on ethics and morality.

In the 17th century, the surname "Chi" appeared in various administrative records and local histories from the Guangdong area, indicating its continued presence and prevalence among the local population.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), the surname "Chi" gained wider recognition and spread to other regions of China. One notable figure from this period was Chi Yun (1724-1805), a renowned painter and calligrapher who contributed significantly to the development of the "Lingnan" (Cantonese) style of art.

As Chinese emigration increased in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the surname "Chi" also spread to other parts of the world, particularly Southeast Asia and North America. Among the notable individuals with this surname is Chi Kung (1914-2005), a renowned Taiwanese writer and literary critic who played a significant role in shaping modern Chinese literature.

In more recent history, the surname "Chi" has continued to be associated with various accomplished individuals, such as Chi Shing (1936-2014), a prominent Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist, and Chi Mei (1920-2018), a celebrated Taiwanese writer and educator known for her contributions to children's literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chi

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chi.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chi was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chi has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chi, please contact us.

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