Interpretation of the Mi (米) Totem

【Meaning】 The character Mi (米) originally refers to "hushed grains"—the seeds of cereal crops after the husks have been removed. It also generally refers to the edible part of any grain. As a pictographic character, the version found in Oracle Bone Script features three dots at both the top and bottom, representing the individual grains. A horizontal stroke in the middle symbolizes the wind blowing through, depicting the process of separating the grains from the husks.

【Origin】

1. From the State of Chu: The Mi (米) surname originated from the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period. The Mi (芈) clan was once a large and powerful aristocratic family. After the Qin State conquered Chu, many members of the Mi (芈) nobility changed their surname to the visually similar and homophonous Mi (米) to escape persecution.

2. From the Western Regions: In ancient Central Asia, there was a State of Mi (located southwest of Samarkand in modern-day Uzbekistan). During the Tang Dynasty, it became one of the "Nine Sogdian Surnames" (Zhaowu Nine Surnames) and a vassal state of China. Many people from this region migrated to central China, and their descendants adopted the name of their kingdom as their surname.

Clan Archives

• Founding Ancestor: Mi Fu (The great calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty)

• Ancestral Birthplace: Jingzhou, Hubei

• County & Hall Names: Longxi, Jingzhao, Gaoping; Lumen Hall

• Current Ranking / Population: 215th / Approximately 460,000

• Song Dynasty Rank: 149th

• Existing Genealogies: 5 volumes