2000
#13,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Ji
A Chinese surname meaning "and" or "also," or referring to an ancient state in present-day Shanxi Province.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,380 Americans carry the last name Ji. That puts it at #5,237 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,444 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ji surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ji with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,444
Census rank
#5,237
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,436 bearers of the surname Ji in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5237th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ji
The surname "JI" has its origins in China, where it emerged as a family name during the ancient Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 256 BC). It is derived from the Chinese word "ji," which means "auspicious" or "lucky." The name was initially adopted by families residing in the central and eastern regions of China.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "JI" can be found in the Classic of Poetry, a collection of ancient Chinese poems dating back to the 11th century BC. The name appears in a poem praising the virtues of a noble family bearing this surname.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD), the "JI" surname gained prominence in several regions of China, particularly in the provinces of Shandong and Henan. Historical records from this period mention several notable figures with the surname "JI," including Ji Xiaolan (646 AD - 718 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher.
In the Song Dynasty (960 AD - 1279 AD), the "JI" surname was widely dispersed throughout China, with families bearing this name found in various provinces. One of the most famous individuals with this surname during this era was Ji Zhizhen (1031 AD - 1107 AD), a celebrated military strategist and author of the acclaimed military treatise, "New Book of Effective Tactics."
The Ming Dynasty (1368 AD - 1644 AD) saw the rise of several influential "JI" families, many of whom held positions of power and influence within the imperial court. Among these was Ji Xiaoxuan (1486 AD - 1547 AD), a prominent scholar and philosopher who served as a high-ranking official in the Ming government.
Over the centuries, the "JI" surname has been associated with various place names and locations across China. For instance, the city of Jixian in Hebei Province is believed to have been named after a prominent "JI" family that resided in the area during ancient times.
Other notable historical figures with the surname "JI" include Ji Gong (1130 AD - 1207 AD), a revered Buddhist monk known for his eccentric behavior and wisdom; Ji Xiaolan (1724 AD - 1805 AD), a celebrated poet and calligrapher during the Qing Dynasty; and Ji Xianlin (1911 AD - 2009 AD), a renowned scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Chinese texts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ji
Among Census respondents with the surname Ji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ji bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ji surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.8% · 6,104
- White2.7% · 174
- Two or more races0.9% · 61
- Black or African American0.8% · 54
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ji
Ji appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,039
+1,939 bearers (+92.3%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 5,095 places
2020
#5,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,436
+2,397 bearers (+59.3%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Up 2,979 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,311 | 2,100 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,216 | 4,039 | 1.37 | +1,939 bearers (+92.3%) | Up 5,095 places |
| 2020 | #5,237 | 6,436 | 2.15 | +2,397 bearers (+59.3%) | Up 2,979 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ji surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,216 | #5,237 | 36.3% |
| Count | 4,039 | 6,436 | 59.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 2.15 | 57.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ji bearers went from 4,039 to 6,436 (+59.3% change). The surname moved up 2,979 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,216 to #5,237.
FAQ
Ji surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ji?
Name Census estimates that about 7,380 living Americans carry the surname Ji. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,444 residents.
How common is Ji?
Ji ranks #5,237 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,436 people with the surname Ji. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,380), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ji.
Has Ji become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ji went from 4,039 recorded bearers to 6,436. That is an increase of 2,397 (+59.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,216 to #5,237.
What does the Census say about the background of Ji?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ji in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (6,104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ji appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.8%), White (2.7%), Two or More Races (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ji (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ji mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "and" or "also," or referring to an ancient state in present-day Shanxi Province. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ji (2.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Ji?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Ji on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.