Bai Jia Xing compound surname #39
公西
公西 is read as Gōngxī. It is one of the 60 compound surnames in the expanded Bai Jia Xing sequence.
Pinyin
Gōngxī
Script forms
Simplified and traditional 公西
Meaning
Lu aristocratic compound surname from a Jisun branch
Five element
Metal
Origin
Time: Spring and Autumn period, 770-476 BCE
Place: Lu Jisun clan, Shandong
Origin
公西 is traced to the Ji-surnamed nobility of Lu, especially a branch of the Jisun family. Several Confucius disciples make the surname visible in the Lu cultural world.
Name meaning
The name feels aristocratic and Lu-centered, tied to clan branches and courtly service.
Historical figures
公西赤 Gongxi Chi
Gongxi Chi, courtesy name Zihua, was a disciple of Confucius.