Chinese surname · rank 144
祁
祁 is read as qí.
Pinyin
qí
Script forms
Simplified and traditional 祁
Basic meaning
large; old place name
Five element
Wood
Origin
Time: Spring and Autumn Jin Qi fief/place tradition; Spring and Autumn tradition, 770-476 BCE
Place: Qi fief/place traditions in Jin, commonly associated with today's Shanxi Province
Origin note
A major Qi surname tradition connects 祁 with a Jin fief or place-name layer. It should be kept distinct from 齐, the ancient Qi state surname.
Historical figures
祁寯藻
1793-1866 CE · Qing official
A Qing grand secretary and scholar.
祁彪佳
1602-1645 CE · Ming official and writer
A late Ming official and dramatist.