Zi Family History

Chinese:: Mandarin form of the surname 訾: (i) from the placename Zi (訾), the name of a fief (located in Henan province) in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from the placename Zi (訾), the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) granted to an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) adopted in place of another Chinese surname Zhai (祭) because the surname Zhai (祭) bears an inauspicious connotation (meaning ‘sacrifice’, which reminds people of death).

Mandarin form of the surname 資 meaning ‘fund’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the placename Zi Zhong (資中) (located in present-day Sichuan province), the name of a fief said to be granted to a descendant of the legendary emperor Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c. 27th century BC). (ii) a surname from minority ethnic groups in southwestern China.