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

Ci, 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 Ci surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ci in America

Ci is the 63068th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ci surname appeared 317 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ci.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ci 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 Ci

The surname "Ci" has its origins rooted in the ancient Chinese civilization, dating back to the 3rd century BCE. It is believed to have originated from the state of Qi, located in the eastern part of modern-day Shandong Province. The name "Qi" was derived from the ancient Chinese word "qi," which means "rising vapor" or "gaseous essence," referring to the misty atmosphere often present in the region's coastal areas.

In the early historical records of China, the name "Ci" can be found in various manuscripts and documents, particularly those related to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE). One notable mention is in the "Zuo Zhuan," a commentary on the ancient Chinese text "Chunqiu" (Spring and Autumn Annals), where the name appears in connection with various political and military figures from the state of Qi.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Ci" date back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), when it was commonly used by scholars and officials hailing from the former state of Qi. One prominent individual bearing this name was Ci Shu (born around 195 CE), a renowned Confucian scholar and calligrapher who served as a high-ranking official during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Throughout Chinese history, several notable figures have carried the surname "Ci." One example is Ci Xi (1835-1908), also known as the Empress Dowager Cixi, who effectively controlled the Qing Dynasty in the late 19th century as the regent and played a significant role in Chinese politics during her reign.

Another historical figure with the surname "Ci" was Ci Shuqing (1894-1952), a prominent Chinese economist and educator who served as the president of Wuhan University and made significant contributions to the field of economics in China.

In addition, the surname "Ci" has been associated with various place names and locations within China, such as Ci County in Hebei Province and Ci Village in Shandong Province, both of which trace their names back to the ancient state of Qi.

It is worth noting that while the surname "Ci" has a rich historical background in China, its usage and prevalence have evolved over time, with variations in spellings and pronunciations emerging in different regions and dialects of the Chinese language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ci

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

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 Ci 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 Ci 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 Ci was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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