Interpretation of the Xi (奚) Clan Totem

【Meaning】

The original meaning of Xi (奚) refers to a captive or servant. In Oracle Bone and Bronze Scripts, the character depicts a person (大) with a rope or tether tied around them, symbolizing attachment or service.

【Origin】

The surname originates from the Ren (任) surname, specifically from the region of Xi governed during the Xia Dynasty. The clan members are descendants of Yuyang, a son of the Yellow Emperor, and adopted the name of their place of residence as their surname.

According to legend, during the Great Flood, a man named Xi Zhong invented the chariot (wheeled vehicle) to assist the Great Yu in transporting earth, stones, and timber. This contribution was pivotal in taming the floods, leading to the historical proverb: "Great Yu controlled the waters; Xi Zhong created the chariot." The patriarch of this branch, Yuyang, was one of the 25 sons of the Yellow Emperor and was enfeoffed in Ren (modern-day Jining, Shandong), hence the original surname Ren. Xi Zhong later resided in Xue (Tengzhou, Shandong), moved to Pi (Weishan, Shandong), and eventually settled in Qiu (Suzhou, Jiangsu). After his death, Xi Zhong was revered by later generations as the God of the Chariot.

Clan Heritage Profile

Category

Details

First Ancestor (Patriarch)

Xi Zhong (Descendant of the Yellow Emperor)

Ancestral Homelands

Tengzhou (Shandong), Luoyang (Henan), Jining (Shandong)

Prefectural Seats & Hall Names

Qiao County, Beihai; Luhou Hall, Ligeng Hall

Modern Ranking / Population

Ranked 278th / Approx. 231,000

Song Dynasty "Hundred Family Surnames" Rank

Beyond 200th

Extant Genealogies

12 volumes